The species was first described scientifically by Schmidel in 1794, under the name Fucus carnosus.

The German botanist Otto Kuntze transferred the species to Dilsea in 1898.

[1] This large alga is dark red, flattened and somewhat leathery.

[3] The mature blade has a compact medulla enclosed within a cortex of rounded cells inwards and outwards of close radial filaments of about 6 cells.

The spermatangia, male gametes, occur in patches near the edges of the fronds.