The edges of the plants have spines, and there are no midribs or veins present. The cortical cells are quadrangular and sit atop larger, irregularly arranged, angular to ovoid medullary cells. Clusters of hairs are densely distributed. The basal cells are embedded within the thallus. The sporangia are angular in shape, occurring individually or in small clusters, and they produce four ovoid to spherical spores. Oogonia, which are structures producing female reproductive cells, appear angular when viewed from the surface. They can be solitary, grouped in small clusters, or scattered in sori. Antheridial sori, which produce male reproductive cells, are whitish and distributed across the thallus. The plants are colored in shades ranging from olive-brown to green and are anchored by a matted rhizoidal holdfast. They have a flat, somewhat dichotomous, or more commonly, irregular branching pattern.