The plants are relatively large and elegantly frondose. The branching is typically tripinnate, but it is sometimes bipinnate or imperfectly tripinnate. The leaf cells are stoutly unipapillose, except that the terminal cell of branch leaves is sharp and smooth. Hypnum recognitum J. Hedwig, Sp. Plants in light-green to yellowish or brownish mats.
Branch leaves ending in a truncate, pluripapillose cell .
Leaves of primary branches smaller, with a shorter costa. Leaves of secondary branches ca. Seta 20-42 mm long, reddish. The specific epithet was applied by Hedwig because he recognized the many differences that separate the species from T . Thuidium allenii C. F. Austin, Bull.