They have a sporphytic thallus usually aggregated to form a pseudo-parenchyma. The order gets its name from the genus Desmarestia, which is named after the French zoologist Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest (1784–1838).
The organism has a sporophytic thallus that typically forms a pseudo-parenchyma. The order's name originates from the genus Desmarestia, which was named after the French zoologist Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest (1784–1838).