Primary squamules persistent or disappearing, 0.5-2 mm long, crenate-incised, margins ± lobulate, brown-yellow, smooth above, whitish arachnoid below. Podetia growing from margins and upper surface of primary squamules, 3 cm tall, 1-1.5 mm diam., at base, expanding upwards, subcylindrical, rather crowded, simple to irregularly dichotomously branched, with or without cups, cups regular, oblique or deformed, proliferating from margins, covered with a concave or funnel-shaped membrane. Cortex pale yellowish, brown-black at base, impellucid, decorticate, surface rather uneven, imperforate or with occasional perforations or ± areolate, areolae smooth, raised, soredia and squamules absent, chondroid layer smooth, not reticulate. Apothecia minute, terminal, pale brown, 0.2-1.0 mm diam., convex, simple or ± confluent, on marginal proliferations of cups. Pycnidia bottle-shaped, 0.1 mm diam., at tips of fertile podetia below apothecia and on surface of primary squamules, ostiole black-rimmed, gaping. Chemistry: Cortex K-, C-, KC+ yellow, Pd+ red. Usnic and fumarprotocetraric acids, barbatic acid (tr.) and unidentified terpene.