Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2002. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 1.

Thallus: squamulose, effuse, forming rosettes up to 4 cm diam., lacking a distinct hypothallus, squamules: usually deeply divided with coralloid protuberances, often apically swollen upper surface: brown, smooth upper cortex: paraplectenchymatous with irregularly thickened cell walls, 20-30 µm thick Apothecia: rather common, up to 1.5 mm diam.; usually without thalline margin; disc: convex, brown; exciple: subparaplectenchymatous, usually 60-80 µm thick; hymenium: I+ blue-green and rapidly turning red-brown, 100-120 µm high asci: clavate with apical amyloid tubes, 8-spored ascospores: simple, hyaline, ovoid, 16-20 x 8-10 µm Spot tests: all reactions negative Secondary metabolites: none detected. Substrate and ecology: on moist, often clayey soil on riverbanks or road-cuts in coastal regions World distribution: most possibly endemic to Pacific North America Sonoran distribution: as yet only known from the Channel Islands in southern California. Notes: It is a species of the Fuscopannaria praetermissa complex and may show some similarity to certain forms of that species, but it is always found in the lowlands. It is distinctly coralloid, never with "sorediate" upturned lobe-margins and lacks secondary substances.