Thompson, J., 1997. American Arctic Lichens: The Microlichens.
Thallus crustose, verruculose and coralloid-isidioid, isidia short, cylindrical, sometimes sparingly branched, brownish olive to ashy olive. Apothecia top-shaped to cup-shaped, short-stalked, base narrowed; margin prominent, persistent, black or dark olive-brown; exciple brownish black exteriorly, brown toward interior, radiate; disk black, concave, shining, epruinose; hypothecium brown or slightly paler brown; epihymenium dark brown; hymenium 180 μm, 1+ blue turning red; paraphyses branched, slender, tips thickened and black-capped, coherent; asci clavate; spores 1, oblong, muriform with numerous cells, hyaline to brownish, 70—115 x 20-47 μm.
This species grows on moss, humus, plant remains, and rocks, rarely on bark. It is circumpolar arctic, in North America being distributed across northern Canada and Alaska.