Primary squamules persistent, large, 2-5(-10) mm long and 1-5 mm wide, cuneate to sublinear, margins crenate-ragged, sinuate, irregularly laciniate-pectinate, flat or convex, ascending, aggregated or crowded-caespitose, upper surface whitish-glaucescent or pale olive-yellowish-glaucescent. Lower surface white, brown-black at base, esorediate, or margins and lower surface farinose-sorediate. Podetia arising from margins and upper surface of primary squamules, 3-12(-17) mm tall, 0.4-0.5 mm diam., subcylindrical or angular, without cups, terminated by apothecia, simple or fastigiate-branched, branches suberect, laterally fissured, fissures striate, often aggregated, erect, corticate, not, or rarely squamulose, axils open or closed. Cortex areolate-verrucose, areolae continuous or dispersed, 0.1-0.5 mm wide, esorediate, opaque, impellucid, whitish-glaucuescent. Apothecia at tips of podetia, often supported on short, cartilaginous stalks, rarely at margins of squamules 0.8-4.0 mm diam., solitary, entire or lobate-perforate, subpeltate, at first plane and marginate, soon becoming convex, glomerulate and immarginate, pale to dark brown, red-brown or brown-black. Chemistry: Cortex K+ faint yellow, C-, KC-, Pd+ red. Fumarprotocetraric, succinprotocetraric and protocetraric acids and atranorin (tr.).