Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2004. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2.
Thallus: lacking Apothecia: biatorine, sessile, up to 0.25 mm wide disc: yellow, sometimes with a greenish tinge, strongly convex to subglobose exciple: thin and paraphyses-like epihymenium: yellow-brown hymenium: hyaline, 45-55 µm tall; paraphyses: frequently branched, ±cylindrical with up to 3 µm wide tips; hypothecium: hyaline asci: clavate, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, simple or sometimes with a thin septum, citriform, 11.5-14.5 x 4-5.5 µm Pycnidia: unknown Spot tests: disc, K+ reddish, KC-, C- Secondary metabolites: not investigated, probably the same pulvinic acid derivatives as in the other species of the genus. Substrate and ecology: lichenicolous on Candelina submexicana World and Sonoran distribution: known from a few localities in Chihuahua and Sonora. Notes: Candelariella "lichenicola" is the only Candelariella lacking a photobiont. It appears as minute biatorine apothecia on the thallus of Candelina submexicana. The apothecia develop below the cortex of the host, and when they break through, a rim of the cortex may remain around the disc making the apothecia appear lecanorine.