The body (
thallus) is crust-forming (
crustose) and grows on bark on tree
trunks, forming patches up to across. It is white and opaque, with a smooth to uneven surface. No visible border zone () is usually present, though a thin, irregular black line may appear where the thallus meets neighboring lichens. In cross-section, the thallus is 50–70
μm thick and includes a thin outer skin (), a compact , and a thin inner tissue (
medulla) with small gray crystals. The algal partner () is the green alga
Trentepohlia. The slit-like fruiting bodies () are wavy () and irregularly branched, prominently raised, and 3–7 mm long by 0.2–0.25 mm wide, with the inner hidden from view. The lips () are smooth-edged and black, with a thin frosting () along the slit. The outer wall () is completely blackened (). The spore-bearing layer (
hymenium) is clear and 120–150 μm high. Each
ascus contains eight colorless
ascospores that are divided into 6 cells (5-
septate) and measure 18–25 × 6–7 μm. They
stain violet-blue with iodine (I+ violet-blue). The species contains
lichexanthone; as a consequence, the thallus
fluoresces yellow under
ultraviolet light, sometimes in patches. ==Habitat and distribution==