Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus brownish gray with a violet tinge, zonate to radiate at times, indistinctly areo-late or smooth, dull; cortex granular-inspersed; bounded by black hypothallus. Apothecia central, innate, disk to 1 mm broad, concave, black; margin indistinct, of same color as thallus, I — ; hypothecium cloudy and oil-inspersed; epihymenium olive-brownish, HC1+ green; hymenium 90-135 µm, 1+ blue turning reddish; paraphyses distinct, with the upper 4-6 cells moniliform and globose to 3.6 µm; spores 8, broadly ellipsoid to subglo-bose, 17-25 x 12—16 µm. Conidia straight or bent, 17-35 µm.
Reactions: K—, C—, P—, I—.
This species grows on noncalcareous rocks in moist places such as late snowmelt areas, along brooks, etc. It is circumpolar arctic-alpine.