Leaves: with margins recurved to erect and whitish distally, undifferentiated proximally. Seta: 5–8 mm. Capsule: urn short-cylindric, 1–2.1 mm; operculum 0.6–1.1 mm; peristome short, nearly straight, cribrose, 198–520 µm. Phenology: Capsule mature May–Aug(-Dec).
Banks, sandy soil or rocks along dry washes. 1000-1500 m. Ariz., Calif., Colo., Nev., Utah, Mexico (Baja California), Europe, Asia, n Africa, Atlantic Islands (Canary Islands).
M. J. Cano et al. (1993) did not recognize var. pottioideum as a distinct taxon. However, the character states given in the key offer good reasons to retain it, despite some intergradation with var. squamiferum.