He noted the rare lichen to prefer the bark of small twigs of the plant Hymenanthera banksii, a bush upon which it would often cover an entire side.

[4] The Teloschistes velifer is characterised by its partially shrubby, upright thallus—this is the body of the lichen—which often forms dense, cushion-like patches approximately 10 mm in diameter.

These lobes are slightly ridged and branch at their ends, featuring yellow, hair-like outgrowths known as fibrils that are about 0.5–1.5 mm long.

[3] The upper side of the Teloschistes velifer is an orange-yellow colour, and when treated with potassium hydroxide (K), it turns purple.

[3] The reproductive structures, or apothecia, are about 1–3 mm in diameter and initially form broadly directly attached to the upper surface of the lobes, surrounded by conspicuous curved edges made of the same material as the thallus.