Description: Lichen. Thallus fruticose, erect, usually 5 - 6 cm high, more rarely 8 - 10 cm and then becoming subpendulous, moderately branched. Branches stramineous or greenish grey, solid, flattened, plane or somewhat canaliculate, main branches 2 - 3 mm wide, in abnormal specimens to 15 mm, apices flat, more or less finely divided. Soralia lateral, marginal and laminal, at first ellipsoid but becoming confluent and irregular with age, in distal parts laminal, irregularly spreading to the apices, soredia farinose, branchlets from soralia not uncommon. Apothecia unknown (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 280).

Chemistry:
Race I: Uscic acid in the cortex, divaricatic acid, stenosporic acid in the medulla (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 280).
Race II: Usnic acid in the cortex, substances in the sekikaic acid aggregate in the medulla (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 280).
Race III: Usnic acid in the cortex, boninic acid in the medulla (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 280).

Ecology: In East Africa primarily corticolous in open forest and woodland between 1100 and 3100 m altitude, but also occasional on earth banks and rocks, fairly common (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 280).