Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus ashy to yellowish-ashy, thin and zonate marginally, very closely attached to the substratum, and with a slight upward raising in radiate lines dimly showing; centrally the thallus is areolate with angular or rounded areolae to 1 mm broad; cortex unclear and inspersed; medulla filled with granular inclusions and thus opaque. Apothecia innate, rounded or angular; margin thick, entire, of same color as thallus, I-; hypothecium hyaline, 1+ blue; epihymenium dark brown. HNO3+ green; hymenium 90-110 µm, hyaline, 1+ greenish yellow; paraphyses slender, 1.5-2 µm, tips only slightly enlarged to 2 µm and the whole not moniliform; asci clavate; spores 8, ellipsoid, 10-14 x 5-8 µm, often with oil droplets. Conidia 27-30 µm.
Reactions: Although Zahlbruckner in the original description stated that the thallus is K+ yellowish turning red, I found the type to be K-.C-.P-.I-.
This species grows on rocks and was described from Novaya Zcmlya. A specimen from the Belcher Islands. Hudson Bay, Marr579 (WIS). compared favorably with the type at Oslo. However, the distinction of this species from A. cingulata is very-poor, only the presence of the incorporated granules and the larger conidia appear to separate them. They may be phases of the same species.