Thallus ± squamulose or small-laciniate, without prothallus or attaching rhizines, in ± dense swards or cushions to 8 cm diam., though usually 2-5 cm diam. Squamules laciniate, erect, congested, closely compacted, ± spathulate at apices, laterally compressed, with a ± distinctly roughened upper surface and a pale ventral surface, rarely terete, 2-6 mm tall, branches 0.1-1.0 mm wide to 3 mm long and c. 0.5 mm thick, thicker at apices, normally erect but occasionally flattened, spreading. Upper surface matt, uneven, scabrid, areolate-cracked at centre, smooth, ± waxy at apices, brownish-green to tawny yellow or red-brown or marginally blackened. Lower surface ± uniformly downy-pubescent, pale buff or whitish. Cephalodia marginal, at base of laciniae, laterally compressed, spathulate, yellow-brown to blackish at centre, grey- blue at apices and often also white-pubescent, ± wrinkled-plicate in parts. Apothecia initially on upper surface of laciniae, often large and expanded above laciniae 3-11 mm diam., disc plane to undulate, concave to deeply cupuliform, becoming convex, matt, epruinose, red-brown to brown-black, yellow-brown in sheltered habitats, margins subentire to verrucose or ± crenate-striate, thalline exciple verrucose-areolate, concolorous with thallus. Ascospores 18-23 × 6-10 µm, epispore hyaline, to 3 µm thick.