Thallus minutely squamulose-microphylline, very closely attached, spreading, to 8 cm diam., with a conspicuous, black, marginal prothallus, corticolous. Squamules variable in size and shape, effigurate, or forming a diffract-areolate crust, or denuded altogether. Upper surface dirty greyish-brown, matt, without isidia or soredia. Apothecia frequent, 0.8-1.5 mm diam., disc plane, dark red-brown to blackened, with a thin proper margin, often occluded, concolorous with disc or paler. Ascospores ellipsoid, often apiculate at both ends, 16-21 × 7-10 µm.

Thallus squamulose, ± closely attached, orbicular to spreading 1-5(-10) cm diam., bordered by a thin black prothallus. Squamules very variable, from minute, crenulate, stellate structures widely scattered on prothallus, to ± densely clustered, overlapping, with minute, flattened lobules at margins, to ± placodioid, radiating narrow, laciniate lobes with subascendent margins. Upper surface greyish-green to dull olive or fawnish, smooth, shining, without isidia or soredia, margins slightly white-pubescent. Lower surface pale buff or whitish-tomentose at margins, dark centrally with copious, black, squarrose rhizines. Apothecia sessile, frequent, small, to 1 mm diam., plane to convex, disc smooth, waxy, red-brown with a pale proper margin visible in young fruits, becoming thinner and less distinct with age. Ascospores ellipsoid, 12-25 × 6-9 µm.