From June/July to August/September, the gametophyte can be found in north-eastern Europe, although sometimes overwinters; it's axis is one mm white and 200 mm long, cylindrical, and arisies from bare, creeping stolons; irregularly branched, has 4 rows of simple, short branchlets alterning with longer ones with 4 rows of simple filamentous ramuli; Lower branchlets unbranched, long, tapered, with harpoon-like barbs; pale purplish-red becoming distinctly orange when removed from water, due to quick degeneration. Tetrasporophyte occurs all year around, but more common in October-March; brownish-red, filamentous and much branched, forms dense cotton-wool-like tufts to 15 mm in diameter.