Plants yellowish or brownish green. Stems reddish brown, to 25 mm high, with reddish brown rhizoids. Leaves erect-spreading, broadly obovate to spathulate, 1.5–3.5 (–4.0) mm long, 1.0–1.8 mm wide, ±concave, tapered in the upper 1/3 to a broadly acute cuspidate apex; costa pale brown or reddish brown, c. 45 µm wide near the base, ending (5–) 7–10 (or more) cells below the apex; margin weakly toothed above. Upper laminal cells oblong-hexagonal, 45–90 (–105) × 30–36 µm, longer and more oblong below; marginal cells longer and firmer-walled, forming a weak border of 1–3 rows, often yellowish; apical cell 30–90 µm long.

Calyptra cucullate, rostrate. Setae 5–12 (–14) mm long, twisted to the right throughout, pale brown or reddish brown, weakly hygroscopic. Capsules inclined to nearly horizontal, asymmetrical, obovoid, constricted below the mouth when dry, 1.5–2.0 (–2.3) mm, with a weakly defined neck c. 1/3 (–1/2) of the capsule length, reddish brown (but often dehiscent when lower portion of capsule still green), strongly wrinkled below when dry; mouth equal the diameter of the capsule, ±oblique; exothecial cells with indistinct lumina, c. 2–4:1, in cross section with strongly cuneate anticlinal walls, c. 6 rows isodiametric to oblate at mouth; operculum plano-convex. Peristome double; exostome teeth sigmoid, (225–) 250–300 (–475) × (60–) 75–90 µm, acute at the apices, vertically striate ±throughout, coarsely baculate near the apices, with appendiculae weak in upper half or lacking, trabeculae well-developed; endostome variable, segments c. 90 µm wide, acute, c. 3/4 the height of teeth, or irregular and shorter, striate-baculate below, baculate above. Spores (24–) 27–33 (–35) µm diam., insulate-baculate.

Entosthodon radians (Hedw.) Müll.Hal., Syn. Musc. Frond. 1: 122 (1848); Weissia radians Hedw., Sp. Musc. Frond. 73 (1801); Bryum radians (Hedw.) P.Beauv., Prodr. 49. (1805); Eremodon radians (Hedw.) Brid., Bryol. Univ. 1: 236 (1826); Funaria radians (Hedw.) Müll.Hal., Linnaea 18: 692 (1845).

Funaria acaulis Hampe, Linnaea 30: 624 (1860); Entosthodon (Plagiodus) acaulis (Hampe) Fife, J. Hattori  Bot. Lab. 58: 192 (1985). Type: Gippsland, Vic., 1855, F.Mueller 119; holotype: BM-Hampe; isotype: BM-Hooker, H-Lindberg.

Funaria crispula Hook. f. & Wilson, Fl. Tasman. 198 (1859). Type: s. loc., New Zealand, 1769–70, J.Banks; holotype: BM; isotypes: BM-Hooker, H-Lindberg.

[Funaria glabra auct. non Taylor: G.O.K.Sainsbury, 1955].

Qld: Ashgrove, C.Wild.

N.S.W.: Ballina, W.W.Watts; Kittys Ck, Lane Cove R., W.W.Watts.

Tas.: Myrtle Gully, Mt Wellington, 22 Nov. 1978, A.V.Ratkowsky.

The shorter capsule and shorter leaf apical cell preclude confusion with the much rarer E. muehlenbergii. Endostome development varies within populations and even within single capsules.

A.J.Fife & R.D.Seppelt (2012), Australian Mosses Online 67. Funariaceae. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Version 2 October 2012.