Thallus black, opaque, thin, continuous, subrimulose throughout; apothecia pyrenio entirely black, slightly raised, subrugulose, largely overspread (0.5-0.7 millim. broad), convex or tuberculiform; spores 8, hyaline, ellipsoid, muriform, 0.048-70 millim. long, 0.025-38 millim. thick. Iodine hymenial gelatin wine yellow-red (spores not coloured).
Above calcareous rock.
Species resembling Verrucaria intercedentem and V. inumbratam, thallus black, soon distinct. Gonidia glomerulose. Paraphyses slender, often irregular, but typically not much, so that it indicates a different plant.