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: squamulose, areolate to subsquamulose, without elongated lobes; prothallus: absent surface: orange, pruinose or shiny, without asexual propagules cortex: adglutinate hyphae, 42-112 µm thick, granules absent; medulla dense, without granules Apothecia: adnate, 0.4-1.8 mm in diam., lecanorine disc: orange, flat or slightly convex, epruinose margin: persistent, flush; thalline margin present, concolorous with thallus; proper margin not visible parathecium: elongate to oval cells; exciple below hypothecium of irregular hyphae epihymenium: golden, K+ red hymenium: hyaline, 5675(-85) µm tall paraphyses: 2-3 tip cells slightly swollen, not branched; subhymenium hyaline asci: cylindrical, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, 2 locules, ellipsoid, 11-14 x 5.5-7 µm, isthmus 1.5-3.5(-4) µm, spore end wall thin Pycnidia: not observed Spot tests: apothecial margin K+ red; thallus K+ red Secondary metabolites: parietin, fallacinal, emodin, and xanthorin. Substrate and ecology: on non-calcareous rocks World distribution: southwestern North America Sonoran distribution: southern California, Baja California, Baja California Sur, western Chihuahua, and Sonora. Notes: Caloplaca bolacina has a yellow-orange, areolate to subsquamulose thallus with a thick cortex of dense anticlinal hyphae. The apothecia are large and have a good thalline margin.