Thallus small, squamulose, often widely scattered, on a prominent black, thin, continuous, fibrous or byssoid prothallus, 3-5(-10) cm diam. Squamules small, ± discrete, 0.1-1.0 mm diam., round to irregular, plane to subconvex, rarely forming a continuous crust, ± consistently sorediate, especially at centre, esorediate near margins, sometimes forming a diffract-areolate, sorediate crust centrally, some squamules ascending, white tomentose below. Upper surface pale greenish or yellowish-white, smooth, waxy or matt, commonly with fine, silky, bristling crystals (×10 lens). Soredia white, or yellowish, granular, surrounded by a halo of white, silky crystals. Cephalodia common, scattered, between squamules on prothallus, never developing on squamules, simple, globose to glomerulate, smooth, purplish-brown. Apothecia not common, scattered, sessile or subpedicellate, 0.1-1.2 mm diam., round to irregular, disc dark red- brown to blackish, matt, epruinose, not gyrose-etched, sometimes ± sorediate, margins crenulate-striate, waxy, occasionally granular-sorediate, thalline exciple wrinkled-striate, ± sorediate. Ascospores 15-17 × 11 µm.