Thallus forming orbicular patches, to 12 cm diam., but generally smaller, corticolous or lignicolous. Lobes ± flattened, repeatedly dichotomously branched, outer lobes free and without lateral contacts, varying from 3-4 mm wide in older parts to 1 mm near apices. Upper surface grey to yellowish-grey, consistently and extensively deeply wrinkled, pycnidia common, appearing as black dots, particularly near apices. Medulla solid for most part, white. Lower surface black, fading to pale brown or whitish near apices, strongly wrinkled. Apothecia common, subpedicellate to pedicellate, exciple thick, wrinkled, funnel-shaped, disc pale brown to brown, 5-10(-18) mm diam., concave at first, becoming ± flat or convex with age, margins entire at first, then crenate. Ascospores ellipsoid 6-8 × 4.5-5 µm. Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; medulla KC+ red, Pd-. Atranorin, chloroatranorin, physodic, 3-hydroxyphysodic, 2'-O-methylphysodic, alectoronic and very rarely physodalic and protocetraric acids.