[5] Plants in the Notothyladaceae grow as a solid, flattened green structure (thallus) without internal air spaces, unlike some other hornwort families that have cavities within their tissues.

Within the cells, the chloroplasts (structures responsible for photosynthesis) may or may not contain a central protein body called a pyrenoid.

Phaeoceros, the largest genus in the family, includes species found worldwide in temperate and tropical regions.

Most members of the family prefer moist, shaded environments and are often found growing on bare soil along stream banks, trails, and roadside embankments.

The species is distinguished from congeners by: the lack of a columella, the dehiscence line consisting of two rows of brown, thick-walled cells, the absence of lamellae in the involucre, the epidermal cells of the capsule having a moderately thick wall, the lack of an easily recognisable equatorial girdle of the spore, and the dark brown colour of its mature spores.