Thallus foliose, heteromerous, dorsiventral, lobate, spreading or sometimes stalked with a fruticose, erect, monophyllous to polyphyllous, frond sometimes arising from a ± woody, spreading holdfast, ± loosely attached, 2-30 cm diam., or larger, corticolous, rarely saxicolous. Lobes ± dichotomously branching to broad, rounded, irregular, complex,overlapping to variously incised, often lacerate-notched, with or without isidia or phyllidia, tough, coriaceous to fragile, thin or thick. Upper surface smooth, wrinkled or ridged, rarely faveolate-impressed, shining or dull, often maculate, scabrid or hairy, isidiate or sorediate, without pseudocyphellae. Medulla white. Photobiont green or , or blue-green (). Internal or erumpent cephalodia () usually present in species with green photobiont. Lower surface pale or dark, glabrous, or tomentose, cyphellae always present. Apothecia hemiangiocarpic, laminal, rarely marginal, sessile or pedicellate, margins entire or crenate, disc matt or shining, rarely pruinose, thalline exciple well-developed, smooth or verrucose-areolate or hairy. Ascospores 8 per ascus, colourless or brown, 1-3- septate (rarely 4-7-septate). Pycnidia often frequent, immersed, punctate to subglobose.