This brittle gorgonian has a rough surface and is branched in one plane. The white, axis is composed of scleritic (skeleton-like) material, and breaks easily. The thick, stubby branches are lateral branching. The branches are somewhat flattened and have have swollen ends, or elongate dish-like depression. They are rounded (cylindrical) in cross section with a thin soft coenenchyme (tissue-like layer). The polyps are arranged only on the side and upper surfaces of the colony and can completely retract within the dome-shaped polyp mounds. The colonies are relatively stiff and slightly compressible. Colonies are up to 30 cm high and coloured whitish to darker brown or reddish; one face of the colony is normally lighter than the other. Sclerites are colourless spindles. They are azooxanthellate.