Thallus densely caespitose in small, flattened mats, to 8 cm diam., minutely foliose-squamulose, terricolous. Squamules at first 1-3 mm diam., soon becoming nodular-papillate, 2-10 mm tall, terete, subdichotomously branched, corticate, tips of finger-like laciniae expanded and blackened, very closely crowded, yellowish-brown margins crenate, and ± densely pruinose. Apothecia to 5 mm diam., often confluent, sessile or often immersed in surrounding crust-like mat of laciniae, disc brownish-black, shining, plane at first with a pale, thin proper margin, soon becoming convex and immarginate. Ascospores ellipsoid to ovoid, 12-14 × 7-9 µm.