Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2002. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 1.

Thallus: foliose, small (up to 2 cm diam.), very closely adnate upper surface: pale gray brown to dark brown, usually epruinose; with or without soredia or isidia upper cortex: paraplectenchymatous, cells with lumina µm 3-7 diam. medulla: white or orange or orange-red, composed of loosely interwoven hyphae photobiont: primary one a trebouxioid alga, secondary photobiont absent lower cortex: prosoplectenchymatous or rudimentary (integrating with the substrate) lower surface: if evident, then black centrally and paler towards the margin; erhizinate or with sparsely developed, simple ones Ascomata: apothecia, lecanorine (with thalline exciple), sessile; disc: brown to blackish, epruinose; epihymenium: pale brown; hymenium: hyaline, I+ blue; paraphyses: simple or weakly branched; hypothecium: colorless or red to orange asci: cylindrical, Lecanora type, 8-spored ascospores: Pachysporia to Physcia-type, brown, 1-3 septate, rarely submuriform, thick walled Conidiomata: pycnidia, wall colorless below but brown round the ostiole, immersed conidia: colorless, filiform, usually longer than 15 µm Secondary metabolites: none detected or pigments (skyrin) Geography: pantropical and pantemperate Substrate: common on bark or wood, rarely on mosses over rocks. Notes: Hyperphyscia is separated from other genera of the Physciaceae by its pycnoconidia, very tightly adnate thallus, sparse development of or complete lack of rhizines and rudimentary (at best) lower cortex. An undescribed species occurring on rock just north of the Sonoran region may also belong to this genus, although it also has affinities to Caloplaca demissa.