Thallus foliose, lobate, loosely or ± evenly attached, to 10 cm diam. Lobes variable, linear-elongate, 3-8 mm wide, variously incised and divided, often imbricate, margins entire or slightly notched or incised, black, shining, occasionally eroded by amphipods, not ascending at apices. Upper surface yellowish-green, smooth, shining at margins, wrinkled, cracked centrally, isidia, maculae and soredia absent. Lower surface brown or tan, or whitish, darker centrally, wrinkled, papillate, often shining, ± densely rhizinate. Rhizines brown to brown-black or reddish-brown, simple, with ± squarrose, anchoring tufts at apices. Apothecia occasional to frequent, subpedicellate, to 12 mm diam., disc red-brown, concave to plane, imperforate, margins entire or crenulate, concolorous with thallus, thalline exciple smooth. Pycnidia common in fertile plants, often dense centrally, clustered, black, pustular. Chemistry: Cortex K-; medulla K+ yellow → red, C-, KC+ red, Pd+ orange. Norstictic, salazinic and usnic acids.