The species is described as having a pleurocarpous growth habit that forms soft carpets or turfs.

The ambiguity of its original range also makes classifying where it is ‘exotic’ and in turn an invasive species within continental Europe very difficult.

Outside of continental Europe, it has been found in the British Isles, Iceland, the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, and much further in Jamaica, Hawaii, Chile, New Zealand, Southeastern Australia, and St. Helena, as well as scattered areas in North America and Asia.

It is a typical forest floor moss, especially characteristic of young, reforested areas.

The exception to this is the historical receipt of a packing shipment: This points to the wide scale spread of the species in the form of an auxiliary material.

On a local scale, the species likely has been disseminated inadvertently from one lawn to another by professional lawn-care workers.