Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2002. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 1.
Primary thallus: squamulose, evanescent, entire to sublobate; squamules: c. 1 mm wide and up to 3 mm long, not granulose podetia: 1-5 cm tall, 1-2 (-7) mm wide, whitish gray or glaucescent to brownish, blackened at base, sparingly branched, subulate to narrowly scyphose; cups: absent or developing with age, 1-2 mm wide, closed or with secondary openings surface: areolate-corticate, with arachnoid interspaces (fertile podetia more continuously corticate), pruinose near tips, becoming granulose, schizidiate, phyllidiate to microsquamulose Apothecia: infrequent, 0.2-0.7 mm wide, brown ascospores: not observed Pycnidia: on cup margins, pyriform, stalked; gelatin not observed conidia: not seen. Spot tests: K+ yellow, C-, KC-, P+ orange, UV- Secondary metabolites: atranorin and fumarprotocetraric acid, and unknown minor compounds (accessory). Habitat and ecology: on soil at high elevations (c. 2000 m) World distribution: North America (Mexico), the West Indies, Central and South America (Andes), especially in the páramos Sonoran distribution: only known from the Basaseachic region of western Chihuahua. Notes: This species is widespread on Mexican mountains south of the Sonoran region. It is recognized by its whitish color and granulose, arachnoid podetia.