Thallus fruticose, dichotomously branched, the lobes 2-5 (-10) mm broad, canaliculate or subtubular, with short lateral branches, the tips obtuse; underside dark brown, gray-brown, or yellow brown, smooth and pitted usually glossy; upper side of same color, more pitted, dull or glossy; marginal pseudo-cyphcllae very narrow and scarcely discernible, lamina] pseudocyphellac sparse and weak; marginal projections to 1 mm long, sparse or absent, rarely on lobe tips, the tips obtuse. Apothecia marginal on lobe ends, disk to 10 mm broad, brown, margin undulate; spores 8, hyaline, ellipsoidal, 2.4-3.6 x 6-8.4 μ. Pycnidia on marginal projections, conidia cylindrical. 0.5 x5 μ.

Reactions: medulla I-, K-, C + weak reddish to red, KC- . P-.

Contents: gyrophoric and hiascinic acids.

This species grows in open moist sites in depressions in the tundra and bogs. It is apparently circumpolar and in North America occurs in Newfoundland and trans-Canada to Alaska. The old records from “Newfoundland" by Despreaux were unspecified as to locality and could conceivably have come from the coast of Labrador.