Thallus pendent, to 11 cm long; the branches even or uneven in diameter, brittle, isotomically dichotomous, pseudocyphellate, fuscus to cervine brown; soredia, when present, fissural, white to dark, or soredia absent or sparse. Apothecia rare, lateral, disk to 1.5 mm broad, flat to convex, light brown, dull, spores 8, simple, hyaline, ellipsoid 7x5 μ.

This species grows on conifers and on old wood. It is in the boreal forest of North America and Japan. It reaches the Arctic in the timber stands at the edge of the forest in the Great Slave Lake area.