Primary thallus formed of small incised squamules of 1-5 mm, upper surface non-sorediate, green, gray-green, lower surface whitish. Podetiums yellow-greenish, relatively short, erect, 1.5-2.5 cm high, ending in a regular cup (funnel-shaped), entirely covered with granular soredia, coarse towards the base and sometimes mixed with small squamules, becoming finer and floury towards the top, including the inside of the cups. Apothecia at the edge of the cups, generally numerous but sometimes rare and not always present, globose and sometimes at the top of a proliferation, bright red, pycnidia frequent at the margin of the cups in the form of tiny reddish globules. Spores oblong, 8-12 x 2.5-3 µm. C-, K-, KC+/- yellow, P-, UV-. Suboreal and subalpine species, found in the mountains of France (collinean taxa are probably different), growing on acidic stony or sandy soils or at the base of trees.
N.B. Contains zeorin visible on herbarium samples as tiny yellowish crystals on the surface of scyphus.
