Thallus loosely attached, to 10 cm diam., straggling, corticolous rarely saxicolous. Lobes narrow (4-8 mm wide), dichotomously branching, strap-shaped, subcanaliculate, margins ciliate, cilia conspicuous, black, long, dichotomously branched. Upper surface greyish-green, smooth, matt, often finely maculate (×10 lens), sorediate at apices, soredia fine, floury, white, becoming grey-black with age, in terminal or subterminal, hooded or revolute soralia. Lower surface shining, black, wrinkled, pale brown towards apices, ± distinctly channelled. Rhizines sparse, black, simple to squarrosely branched. Apothecia not seen. Chemistry: Thallus K+ yellow; medulla K+ yellow-red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Salazinic and atranorin.