Thallus fruticulose, matt–forming, of small, crowded, erect to ±straggling, fragile, terete ramuli dying at base. Ramuli simple, occasionally sparingly branched, (80–)100–140(–190) µm diam., 5–8 (–10) mm tall, pale olive greenish, yellow-black in older parts and at base, in young apical parts ramuli ±translucent when wet with colonies of green photobiont clearly visible as minute maculae (use x 10 lens), surface mattto somewhat shining, without isidia, pseudocyphellae, or soredia.
Cortex comprising two kinds of hyphal arrangement, an outer paraplectenchymatous zone 10–35 µm thick, of thin-walled, round to somewhat irregular ±isodiametric cells 4.5–7.0 µm diam., outermost cells pigmented red-brown and forming a thin cortical layer often intermixed with photobiont cells, internally becoming paler to ±colourless. Photobiont green, (?)Trebouxia, cells round to somewhat irregular 4.5–7 (–9) µm diam., chloroplast filling whole cell, clustered in groups (4–12) in a zone extending from outer surface of ramuli to central medullary strand, sometimes associated with outer paraplectenchymatous cells in forming an external cortical layer. Medulla of periclinally arranged septate hyphae in a central fragile cord, 40–70 µm thick, cells 3–5 µm diam., colourless to pale yellow–brown or dark red brown in older parts, unchanged in K.
Apothecia and pycnidia not seen.
Chemistry: Cortex C+ rose red. Gyrophoric acid (TLC).