Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus thin or moderately thick, uneven, gelatinous, pale or white or ashy, glaucescent, or reddish.
Perithecia dense or sparse, in subhemispherical verrucae, 0.2-0.5 mm broad, reddish brown or red, entire, the base of a paler color, base usually slightly constricted, black or brownish black, shining or dull, aperture of ostiole not prominent, ostiole dilated, 0.15-0.2 mm broad, foveolate; perithecium lacking a thalline amphithecium, contents I+ blue; paraphysoids numerous, simple or slightly branched; asci fusiform to cylindrical-fusiform; spores 8, becoming muriform with up to 4 longitudinal walls and many cross walls, 38-50 X 10-15 µm. Conidia cylindrical, 3-4 X 0.6-0.8 µm.
This species grows on rotting moss and sandy soil in very moist places such as are inhabited by Solorina crocea, in late snowmelt areas. It is circumpolar arctic-alpine, and is known from Europe, Spitzbergen, Iceland, Siberia, and Greenland near Godthaab. In North America it has been reported from Washington state and Colorado (Mayrhofer & Poelt 1985; Mayrhofer 1987), and the type specimen of Verrucaria pernigrata from Port Clarence, Alaska, is this species. An earlier report of it from Baffin Island by Hale was redetermined as a Polyblastia by Mayrhofer.