TYPE. UNITED STATES. SOUTH CAROLINA, Santee Canal, H.W. Ravenel s.n. (BM, type; US, possible isotype)

Description. Lichenized fungus.

Thallus squamulose to dimorphic. Primary thallus squamulose; squamules finely lobed to dentate, recumbent, 0.5–1 mm wide; upper surface white to blue-gray, corticate, smooth; lower surface ecorticate, white. Podetia rare, 3-5 mm tall, 0.5-1 (to 3 with squamules) mm thick, ecorticate, squamulose, lacking cups. Photobiont Asterochloris alga. Ascomata biatorine apothecia, brown. Pycnidia brown.

Chemistry. UV-, K+ yellow, KC-, C-, PD+ orange; thamnolic acid.

Substrate and Habitat. On soil surrounding tree bases as well as on bark and wood, in forests.

Distribution. Gulf and Atlantic coasts of eastern North America, Caribbean (Puerto Rico); in North Carolina in Coastal Plain ecoregion. 

Literature

Lendemer, J.C. & N. Noell. (2018) Delmarva Lichens: An illustrated manual. Memoirs of the Torrey Botanical Society 28: 1-386.

Tuckerman, E. (1858) Supplement to an enumeration of North American lichens; Part first, containing brief diagnoses of new species. American Journal of Science and Arts 25: 422-430 (original description).