Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus grayish with a distinctly cream-yellow tinge, the circumference thin, bordered by a very thin, black hypothallus, radiate-areolate, the areolate lines contiguous or discrete over a thinner thallus, the marginal sterile areolae elongate and slightly convex, the central angular and convex, contiguous, the fertile areolae verruciform, usually with 1 apothecium, sometimes 2 or 3; cortex indistinct, irregular; medullary layer dense, clearing in HC1. Apothecia depressed in the top of the areolae and surrounded by a thick, thalloid margin, which darkens toward disk; thalloid exciple ca. 135 µm thick, the outer 20-30 µm brown, I—, K—; proper exciple 1+ blue turning violet; disk black, concave, dull, roughened, sometimes umbonate, often pruinose; hypothecium pale; epihymenium olive-brown, HC1+ green; hymenium 135 µm, 1+ brown-yellow; paraphyses thin-walled, 1-2 µm, not moniliform, tips broadening to 2.5 µm; asci clavate; spores 8, ellipsoid, 18-23 x 10-12.5 µm.
Reactions: medulla K—, C —, P —, I —.
This species grows on siliceous boulders. It was known only from the type locality at the Franklin Bluffs on the Sagavanirktok River, Alaska. Unfortunately, I understand that the gravel of the bluffs was used for the work concerned with the Alaska pipeline and this locality may be obliterated.