[3] It forms small, soft, olive-brown tufts on the surface of other plants.

[4]: 105  Its sporangia may contain one or many cavities, and emerge directly from the surface cells; they may form a ring around the main nema.

[4]: 107 Its life history consists of alternation of phases; it has isogamous gametes, and dioecious gametophytes.

[5] At warm temperatures 18 °C (64 °F), the alga reproduces sexually, forming single chambered "meiosporangia".

[6] The gametophyte is filamentous – while the sporophyte bears parenchyma, even though it only reaches around 4 cm (2 in) in length.