Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus chinky-areolate, areolae angular, to 1 mm broad, convex to verrucose, white to ashy gray, quite soft. Apothecia to 1.5 mm broad, innate in thallus; margin thin, raised; exciple outer part ashy brown, interior hyaline to brownish; disk depressed-convex, black, dull, epruinose; hypothecium hyaline; epithecium olive to olive-brown; hymenium thin, ca. 40 μm, hyaline to lower part violet along with upper hypothecium; paraphyses coalescent, separating in KOH, 2 μm, tips to 4-5 μm; asci pyriform; spores globose with thin walls, 5 μm.
Reactions: K—, C—, P—, 1+ blue medulla; exciple, hypothecium, and hymenium HNO3-.
This species grows on acid rocks in dry saxifrage barrens. It is rare, known from its type locality on Disko Island, Greenland, and near Alert, northeastern Ellesmere Island.
This species resembles L. tessellata but has globose spores. The violet color of the lower hymenium and upper hypothecium is also distinctive.