Thallus saxicolous, parasitic, consisting of dispersed, convex squamules with regular or carved margins, up to 0.6 mm large, deep red orange, shining. The thallus morphology seems to be that of the host thallus, which, however, becomes intensively stained.
Apothecia lecanorine, scattered to crowded, sessile on the squamules with constriced base, up to 0.9 mm.Disc flat to slightly convex, deep red orange, slightly darker than the thallus. Margin regular to somewhat irregular on old apothecia, initially thick, 50 µm, later thinner, initially rather prominent, later less so, concolorous with the thallus.
Thallus cortex about 15 µm thick, weakly delimited, paraplectenchymatic, with hyphae of no specific orientation, not very conglutinated, lumina 1.5 x 5 µm.
Thalline margin with algae almost to the edge. Proper margin slightly fan-shaped in the periphery. Hypothecium hyaline, with oil droplets. Hymenium 60-70 µm with a dense layer of coarse epipsamma. Paraphyses moderately branched, about 1 µmthick, apically only slightly thickening to 1,5 µm. Asci with 8 spores. Spores 13-15 x 4.54.Septum 4-5.5 µm.
Discussion. the deep red orange colour of this species is rather unique, but is similar to that of C. anchon-phoeniceon, a parasitic species known from the Alps and Greenland, but the apothecia differs somewhat, e.g. are less shining, and more material is necessary to settle the indentity (sic).