The species is characterised by its distinctive flattened appearance, with leaves arranged in two opposite rows resembling tiny fern fronds, and by its pointed leaf tips with projecting central nerves.

The species has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution, being particularly common in the Northern Hemisphere across Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa, with populations in the Pacific region.

While primarily growing on soil and soil-covered rocks in wet, shaded areas, it also occurs in modified environments such as urban parks and gardens.

Fissidens taxifolius is assessed as a least-concern species on the IUCN Red List due to its large, stable populations across its range and the lack of major threats to its survival.

Hedwig referenced previous descriptions by other bryologists, including Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber (citing Hedwig’s earlier works), Carl Linnaeus, Johann Jacob Dillenius, and Sébastien Vaillant, connecting Fissidens taxifolius to several names used previously, such as Hypnum taxifolium and Hypnum laxiforme minus.

The specimen bears Hedwig's handwritten label referencing Linnaeus's Species Plantarum and Dillenius's Historia Muscorum, and forms the basis for its current classification.

However, in areas such as New Zealand, Hawaii, and Papua New Guinea, it appears to be "dioicous" (having male and female reproductive organs on separate plants).

Like other members of the genus Fissidens, it has a distinctive flattened appearance, with leaves arranged in two opposite rows that resemble a tiny fern frond.

The leaves have a unique folded structure typical of Fissidens species, with the lower portion forming a sheath that wraps around the stem for half to two-thirds of the leaf length.

The cells making up the leaf surface are small, square to hexagonal in shape, and slightly bulging, giving the leaves a cloudy or opaque appearance.

However, in other regions including New Zealand, Hawaii, and Papua New Guinea, populations appear to be dioicous, with male and female reproductive organs on separate plants.

In some Pacific regions, only female plants have been found, and the species appears to reproduce primarily through vegetative means rather than spore production.

It has an exceptionally wide presence, occurring in Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Bermuda, Brazil, Burma, Canada, Chad, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti Islands, Honduras, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States of America.

It occurs in both modified and natural environments, including urban parks, gardens, suburban lawns, roadside areas, forest tracks, and shaded banks.

The species shows adaptations for survival and spread, including vegetative reproduction through plant fragments and specialised underground rhizoidal tubers.

[5] In North America, the species is widespread in eastern regions from Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Ontario, south to Florida, west to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska, with disjunct populations in Arizona, Washington to California, and the Northwest Territories.

Hawaiian populations occur primarily at high elevations within 300 metres of the timber line, growing on loose, protected soil banks.

Several factors support its classification as an introduced species: the moss is found almost exclusively in disturbed habitats and modified environments, only female plants have been documented (with reproduction occurring solely through vegetative means), and despite extensive botanical surveys, no specimens were collected prior to 1966.

While it occurs naturally in various woodland and forest habitats, it has also successfully adapted to human-modified environments including urban parks and cultivated land.