S. tenella is a  clump forming moss that grows on trees, logs and  rocks in wet forest but is also reported in damp sand in coastal woodland.

The leaves are somewhat flattened in one plane, broadly lance-shaped, and recurved at the margins. Capsules are slightly less than 1mm long and held on a long red stalk.

S. tenella bears some resemblance to D. splachnoides but the latter is much smaller, grows on fern stipes, twigs or branches, and has a border on the leaf margin.