Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2002. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 1.
Life habit: lichenized, lichenicolous or not Thallus: squamulose squamules: up to 2 mm diam., scattered to adjacent, ± rounded, plane to moderately convex upper surface: pale to dark gray or olivaceous to medium brown, epruinose or partly pruinose, dull or shiny, smooth or with shallow fissures, lacking pores and pseudocyphellae upper cortex: up to 100 µm high, lacking or containing calcium oxalate margin: concolorous with upper surface Apothecia: up to 1.2 mm diam., plane and marginate when young, later often convex and immarginate, epruinose or faintly pruinose; exciple: dark reddish brown in the rim, paler in inner part; hypothecium: pale brown to colorless; epithecium: reddish brown (K+ red, N-) asci: clavate, 8-spored ascospores: ellipsoid, 1-septate, 10-19.5 x 3-5 µm Pycnidia: laminal, immersed conidia: filiform Spot tests: all negative Secondary metabolites: none detected. Host: cyanolichens Substrate and ecology: on soil in open habitats near the coast, up to 380 m World distribution: southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand, southernmost South America and Baja California Sonoran distribution: rare in Baja California. Notes: The species is morphologically quite similar to poorly developed specimens of T. sedifolia. The epithecial pigment and the spore shape are the main distinguishing characters. There are three other chemotypes of Toninia australis elsewhere.