Thallus foliose, loosely attached, to 6 cm diam. Lobes flat, 2-5 mm wide in older parts, subdichotomously branching at first, with thinner, narrower, secondary lobes towards margins, becoming densely imbricate-laciniate, not ascending at apices, margins entire, black, shining. Upper surface yellow or yellowish-green, smooth, shining, occasionally faintly maculate, wrinkled, cracked centrally, isidia and soredia absent. Lower surface pale reddish-brown, darker centrally, shining, wrinkled or papillate. Rhizines sparse to moderate, simple, rarely squarrosely branched, more common centrally. Apothecia sparse, subpedicellate, 1-4 mm diam., disc smooth, red-brown, concave, imperforate, margins prominent, concolorous with thallus, entire or occasionally crenulate. Pycnidia occasional to common, minute, black, punctiform. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K+ yellow → red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Norstictic, salazinic and usnic acids.

Thallus foliose, closely attached, rosette-forming or spreading and ± loosely attached, to 8 cm diam. Lobes very variable, sublinear-elongate, subdichotomously branched to densely imbricate, complex, margins entire or variously incised, black, shining. Upper surface yellowish-green, smooth, shining, moderately to densely isidiate, maculae and soredia absent. Isidia small, simple to coralloid-branched, terete to ± pustularscurfy at maturity. Lower surface pale brown, pinkish or creamish-white, smooth to subcorrugate. Rhizines sparse, simple, pale brown. Apothecia very rare, pedicellate, disc to 5 mm diam., matt, red-brown, concave to ± undulate, margins concolorous with thallus, entire to crenate, ± ragged-incised, isidiate. Pycnidia not seen. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K-, C-, KC+ pink, Pd-. Norlobaridone, norlobariol, loxodin, loxodinol and usnic acid.