Thallus rather large, to 7 cm diam., foliose to subfoliose, rounded to subirregular, adnate to ± ascending lobate, thin, often fenestrate, dark olive-green to blackish, somewhat glossy, without isidia, upper and lower surface smooth. Lobes rather short and broad or ± extended contiguous and imbricate, rather irregularly branched (lobulate) forming dense cushions, lobules 1-3 mm broad, irregular, plane or concave, distinctly canaliculate at first, margin not swollen, ± incised and undulate, giving lichen a very crisp appearance. Apothecia numerous and dense, sometimes crowded, to sparse or even lacking, laminal, submarginal or marginal, sessile, constricted at base 1-1.5(-2) mm diam., disc plane to convex, dark red to blackish, matt, or glossy, epruinose, thalline margin thin, ± entire, smooth or somewhat crenulate or verrucose to granular, not prominent, persistent or disappearing, proper margin thin, pale. Ascospores 4-6 per ascus, polystichous, straight or curved, fusiform to subfusiform or ± broadly acicular, with one end (sometimes both ends) very narrow and strongly extended, straight or curved, 6-celled, not constricted at septa 40-60(-70) × (4.5-)6(-6.5) µm. Pycnidia marginal or submarginal, immersed, globose, 170-200 µm diam.