Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus thin, chinky-areolate or areolate -granulose, sometimes slightly pruinose, blackish brown, the areolae convex, contiguous or dispersed over and bordered by a black hypothallus. Apothecia small, to 0.8 mm broad, partly innate but becoming adnate, concave at first, becoming convex, black, with thin or obsolete black margin; exciple dark black-brown; hypothecium hyaline; epihymenium blue-black or blue-violet with granules which turn blue-green with KOH; hymenium 62-100 µm, not easily separable from the subhymenium of more or less vertical hyphae, 1+ blue; paraphyses easily separable, thin, 2 µm, tips not thickened or up to 4 µm; asci cylindrico-clavate; spores hyaline, ellipsoid, 9-16 X 4.5-8 µm. Conidia short, straight, 4-9 x 1 µm.
This species grows on acid rocks in the open. It is circumpolar arctic and alpine, in North America ranging south to New England and the northern shore of Lake Superior.