Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2004. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2.

Thallus: crustose, usually thick, thin at edge, rimose-areolate to verrucose-areolate; prothallus: not visible surface: cream colored or yellow, yellowish gray or whitish brown, smooth to rugose, opaque, laking isidia and soredia, Apothecia: sessile or semi-immersed, abundant, dispersed, solitary or rarely fused (2-4), +round, 0.75-3 mm in diam. disc: pinkish to less frequently orange to orange-brown, initially deeply concave, becoming plane, heavily white pruinose, K+ red, C+ pink to red, KC+ red, P-; UV+ bright yellow margin: entire, concolorous with the thallus, smooth, dull, prominent to rarely not, 0.22-0.44 mm thick; sometimes slightly granulose amphithecium: medulla: thick, well-developed, containing small crystals; algal layer continuous below the hypothecium; cortex: indistinct, 20-30 µm thick laterally, up to 50 µm basically exciple: 15-30 µm thick hymenium: hyaline, 120-330(400) µm tall; hypothecium: hyaline, slightly expanding laterally asci: 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, simple, biseriate, ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid, 37-58.5 x 21-40 µm Pycnidia: not observed Spot tests: thallus K-, C+ pink to red, KC+ red, P- Secondary metabolites: gyrophoric acid (major), lichexanthone (major), hiascic acid (minor), lecanoric acid (minor), and orsellinic acid (minor). Substrate and ecology: on acidic rocks in oak and conifer forest at intermediate elevations World and Sonoran distribution: southeastern Arizona, Sierra Madre Occidental areas of Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango. Notes: Ochrolechia splendens has relatively large apothecia with pinkish discs, usually covered by a white pruina and contains lichexanthone. The species is readily distinguished from O. parella by the presence of lichexanthone. Another similar species is O. peruensis Verseghy, that can be distinguished by its larger and narrower ascospores, the absence of lichexanthone, and a C+ red medulla and cortex.