Thallus fruticose, erect, tufted to spreading, to 9 cm tall. Branches 2-3 mm wide at base, weakly dichotomously to richly branching above. Surface yellow to brown-red at base, often with black cracks, becoming conspicuously blackened or yellow-grey or bluish-purple above with conspicuous black bands, not papillate or sorediate, smooth, waxy and shining, often ± strongly faveolate. Apothecia frequent, lateral on branches, disc bluish-black, margins smooth, concolorous with thallus, with ray-like branchlets, black, few to many, thalline exciple smooth. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K+ yellow-red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange-red. Norstictic, ± protocetraric, salazinic and usnic acids.