Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2007. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 3.

Life habit: lichenized Thallus: crustose, continuous or areolate, margin thinning at edge, without elongated lobes; prothallus: present, dark gray surface: gray or blue-gray, smooth, without asexual propagules cortex: cellular, c. 7 µm thick, without granules Apothecia: adnate, 0.3-1.5 mm in diam., lecanorine disc: orange, flat, epruinose or pruinose margin: persistent, slightly raised; thalline margin present, concolorous with thallus; proper margin not visible parathecium: including exciple below hypothecium irregular hyphae epihymenium: golden, K+ red, C- hymenium: hyaline, 55-70 µm tall paraphyses: 1-2 tip cells slightly swollen, with some branching or frequently branched; subhymenium hyaline asci: cylindrical, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, 2 locules, ellipsoid, (11)12.5-14 x 5.5-7 µm, isthmus (4-)5.5-7 µm, spore end wall thin Pycnidia: present, mostly immersed, ostiole black Spot tests: apothecial margin K+ violet; thallus K+ violet Secondary metabolites: thalloidima green, parietin, fallacinal, and teloschistin. Substrate and ecology: on bark World distribution: worldwide Sonoran distribution: Arizona, southern California, and Baja California. Notes: Caloplaca cerina has a dark gray continuous thallus and apothecia with a dark thalline margin. Caloplaca pinicola is similar but has a verrucose areolate thallus with dark gray soredia.