Thallus absent or poorly developed, whitish or olivaceous, membranaceous to minutely granular or verruculose. Apothecia small, to 0.5 mm, adnate, flat to slightly convex, pale olive to brownish or black, pruinose when young, becoming bare, becoming immarginate; exciple radiate, outer part dark, inner part hyaline; hypothecium hyaline to pale yellowish or brownish; epihymenium olive-black HN03+ red; hymenium 50-80 μm, brownish or blackish above, hyaline below, 1+ blue; paraphyses coherent, 1-2 μm, tips enlarged to 5 μm, branching, and thence anastomosing; asci broadly clavate; spores biseriate, simple, oblong to ellipsoid, 6-13 x 2-5 μm.

This species grows on wood or bark, especially that of conifers. It is circumpolar boreal.