Thallus thin, lobate, orbicular to spreading, 1-10 cm diam., corticolous and saxicolous. Lobes 3-8 mm wide and 3-12 mm long, closely appressed centrally, ascending apically, margins entire, sinuous. Upper surface dark reddish-brown or greyish-brown or grey (shaded forms), smooth or ± ridged-faveolate especially towards margins, phyllidiate. Phyllidia sparse to abundant, terete, 0.2 mm diam., 0.5 mm tall, or becoming ± flattened-squamulose to 1 mm diam., scattered over upper surface, singly or in groups. Lower surface dark brown to black, wrinkled, shining or matt, glabrous or microscopically pubescent or finely scabrid. Apothecia subrotund to reniform, 3 × 5 mm diam., with thin, denticulate margins, cortex above apothecia wrinkled, scabrid-areolate, disc red-brown. Ascospores colourless to pale reddish-brown, 3-septate, 15-20 × 5-7 µm. Chemistry: Hopane-15α, 22-diol, and unidentified pigments, occasionally 7β-acetoxyhopan-22-ol (tr.).