Thallus bushy. Podetsia are thin-cylindrical, strongly branched, form sods 5-12 cm in height, without a crustal layer, with a smooth or finely warty, matte surface of a light grayish, grayish-yellowish or yellowish-gray color; holes are formed in the places of branching, especially on the main branches. The terminal branches are collected in bundles, their ends are painted brown, sterile – drooping, bearing fruiting bodies – upright. Apothecia are brown or brownish-red, formed at the ends of the branches one at a time or merging several, 0.3-1.2 mm in diameter. Spores are elongate-oval or fusiform, 7-15 x 2-3.5 µm.
Grows on sandy (mostly acidic) soil in pine forests, glades, hillsides, forest edges. In Russia, it is distributed throughout the forest zone.
Contains usnic, fumarprotocentric and urcolic acids. It has strong antibiotic properties. It is used as a raw material for obtaining the Binan product.