Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus crustose, of verrucules or areolae, thin, sparse, or disappearing, bluish white or ashy, dull or shining. Apothecia to 2 mm broad; base well constricted, almost stipitate; margin thick, pale, entire, with thick cortex of palisade-like hyphae of vertical hyphae, I—; disk flat to rarely slightly convex, red, red-brown, or blackening; hypothecium hyaline, I—; epihymenium reddish or brownish to violet-reddish, K—, HN03 —; hymenium 40-65 μm, hyaline, 1+ blue; paraphyses coherent, slender, 1.5 μm, tips slightly thicker, simple or sparsely branched; spores 8, oblong to ellipsoid, 9-14 x 4-6 μm.
Reactions: K—, C—, P—, I—.
This species grows on calcareous rocks, on bones, and occasionally on vegetation. Specimens found on vegetation may be distinguished from the very similar-appearing L. epibryon by the atranorin content of the latter (KOH+ yellow). This species is known from Siberia, the Northwest Territories, Alaska, and Greenland.
Brodo (1976) discusses distinguishing this species from L. zosterae.