Growth form: finely branched with many divisions; branches not thicker than a pencil; colonies small, up to 15 cm; bushy-shaped; light to dark brown.
Fine structure: septa and columella poorly developed; walls of terminal calices flare outward.
The colonies can be fairly solid and dome-shaped, or branching with branches that are either flattened and blade-like, or fine and irregular 
Colonies: Ramose, covered with varrucae; corallites plocoid, less than 1 mm across, found both on varrucae and in between. Tendency of corallites to become cerioid near branch tips. Septa: poorly developed, in 2 cycles, may be reduced to a row to a row of spines.
Columella: Free. Thickness of branches may vary with exposure to water movement and depth. Colonies growing in shallow water or exposed to wave action: Have thick sturdy branches. Colonies from deep calm waters tend to have thin fragile branches.
Color: Mottled brown in life.