Thallus minutely foliose-squamulose, to 6 cm diam., corticolous, or muscicolous or terricolous. Squamules cochleate, 1-2 mm diam., margins crenate-incised, becoming ± copiously lobulate-flattened, imbricate, often ascending, upper surface greyish-white, to grey-brown marginally, smooth, lacking pruina, isidia or soredia. Lower surface whitetomentose marginally, buff or brown centrally, with occasional tufts of black squarrose rhizines. Apothecia frequent, sessile, 0.2 mm diam., plane or convex, waxy, disc red-brown with a prominent, pale margin at first, becoming occluded with age. Ascospores ellipsoid 14-16 × 6-8 µm.