Thallus suborbicular, in patches to 10 cm diam. Lobes convex, 0.5-2.0 mm wide, moderately to densely branched, linear or often constricted and moniliform, branching mainly dichotomous near margins, becoming more complex, subimbricate in older parts, margins entire, apices rounded or crenulate. Upper surface bright yellowish-green to pale yellowish-grey (shade forms), smooth, matt, often wrinkled in older parts, without isidia, maculae, pseudocyphellae or soredia. Hypothallus rather loose, spongy, to 1 mm thick, pale yellow-brown to dark red-brown or black, moniliform. Lower cortex white, shining, smooth, visible at tips of lobes and between patches of hypothallus. Rhizines occasional to frequent, stout, simple, to 0.4 mm wide and to 2 mm long, pale at margins, dark brown or black at centre of thallus, with an anchoring squarrose tuft at apex. Apothecia frequent, to 1 cm diam., pedicellate, deeply cupuliform when young, margins entire, thin, concolorous with thallus, becoming deeply cupuliform when young, margins entire, thin, concolorous with thallus, becoming deeply lacerate and flattened with age, disc imperforate, smooth, pale yellowish to dark red-brown, thalline exciple wrinkled, warted, pale at first becoming dark brown, tomentose in older fruits. Pycnidia common and often numerous at margins, red-brown to black, punctiform.