Thallus fruticose, in scattered clumps or in small swards, pseudopodetia to 7 cm tall, green at first becoming brown or blackened, sterile pseudopodetia rigid, horny ± shining never pruinose or areolate, not crystalline, to 2 mm diam., irregularly branched, walls irregularly perforate, perforations broadly elliptic to rounded, irregularly spaced, cortex to 80 µm thick. Algal layer discontinuous, 40-60 µm thick. Medullary layer loosely woven, under algal layer, inner medulla filling most of hollow interior of pseudopodetia, hyphae pale brown to black. Apothecia terminal on upper branches of fertile pseudopodetia, lecideine, 0.3-0.5 mm diam., concave to plane, red-brown to dark brown, margins entire, persistent. Chemistry: Cortex K-, C-, KC-, Pd-. Divaricatic and ursolic acids.