Thallus corticolous, rarely foliicolous, delimited by a broad prothallus of loosely radiating fibrous strands of white hyphae; thallus surface greenish gray to dull green, with storage becoming paler, ecorticate, entire thallus of thick fibrous strands of loosely interwoven hyphae, abundantly covered in coarsely granular pseudisisdia; medulla poorly differentiated, indistinct, with hyphae covered by colorless to pale brownish granules, lacking calcium oxalate crystals (not forming colorless, needle-shaped crystals in 25% H2SO4); asci and pycnidia not observed.
Distribution and ecology: Pantropical, new to Galapagos and Ecuador; one of the most common species from the upper transition zone through the humid zone into high-altitude transition zone; mostly on a wide variety of both native and introduced trees; typically in semi-shaded to shaded and ±sheltered habitats.
Selected specimens examined: Ecuador: Galapagos: Isla Floreana, Asilo de la Paz, Cerro Wittmer, road to Post Office Bay, 1°18’41.29”S, 90°27’4.29”W, alt. 0m, humid zone, on bark, 03-Jan-2010, Hillmann GAL-83 (CDS 44909); Cerro Pajas, inside the crater, 1°17’49.29”S, 90°27’23”W, alt. 379m, humid zone, on bark, 12-Jan-2011, Bungartz 9260 (CDS 46486); on W-slope of Cerro Alieri, permanent plot 2, 1°17’24.10”S, 90°27’8.90”W, alt. 347m, transition zone, on bark, 12-Jan-2011, Bungartz 9312 (CDS 46538); on W-slope of Cerro Alieri, 1°17’24.10”S, 90°27’8.94”W, alt. 347m, transition zone, on bark, 12-Jan-2011, Bungartz 9333 (CDS 46620). Isla Santa Cruz, on farm N of Bellavista, 0°41’4”S, 90°19’29”W, alt. 250m, humid zone, agricultural area, on bark, 30-May-2005, Aptroot 63314 (CDS 30054); temporary Cinchona weather station, along the trail to El Puntudo, 0°39’6.59”S, 90°19’57.39”W, alt. 698m, humid zone, on bark, 28-Dec-2005, Bungartz 3283 (CDS 26925); above the Finca of Galo Torres, inside the Park boundary, 0°37’45”S, 90°24’1”W, alt. 536m, humid zone, on bark, 30-Jun-2006, Bungartz 4997 (CDS 29210). Isla Isabela, Volcán Alcedo, outer SE-exposed slope, ca. 2.5 km below the crater rim, 0°26’13”S, 91°4’33”W, alt. 785m, transition zone, on bark, 07-Mar-2006, Bungartz 4238 (CDS 28308).
from: Bungartz, F., Dútan, V. & Elix, J.A. (2013) The lichen genera Cryptothecia, Herpothallon and Helminthocarpon (Arthoniales) in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The Lichenologist45(6): 1–24.