Thallus loosely attached, 1-3 cm diam., rosette-forming, lobes convex, 0.5-2 mm wide, subterete towards apices, sublinear-elongate, subdichotomously to irregularly branched, often imbricate, ± separated near margins of thallus, margins entire, apices brown-tipped. Upper surface greenish-yellow, smooth, ± maculate especially at lobe apices, simple or sparingly branched black rhizines, 1-2 mm long, sometimes present, apices of lobes sometimes pseudosorediate, isidia absent. Lower surface brownish to pale yellowish-brown, smooth, often shining, weakly faveolate or subcanaliculate, sparsely to moderately rhizinate. Rhizines black, simple or sparingly branched, 1-3 mm long. Apothecia and pycnidia not seen. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K+ red-brown, C-, KC-, Pd+, red. Fumarprotocetraric, succinoprotocetraric and usnic acids. For discussion of chemical variation in related species see Elix [J. Hattori bot. Lab. 52: 411 (1982)].