Thallus of areolae dispersed or grouped on hypothallus, of small, gray, convex, rounded areolae 0.2-0.35 mm; hypothallus black, conspicuous. Apothecia between areolae, dispersed, round, to 1 mm broad; margin black, persistent, thin; exciple black; disk black, flat, then becoming convex, epruinose; hypothecium black or brown-black; epithecium black-olivaceous; hymenium 110-120 µm, hyaline with upper part olivaceous black; paraphyses coherent, branched, slightly capitate; spores 3-septate, hyaline with distinct halo, slightly constricted at septa, 18-24 x 8-11 µm.

Reactions: medulla K—, C —, I—; hymenium 1+ blue, upper part K+ blue-green.

This species grows on acid rocks. It is known from the original collection on Novaya Zemlya and has been collected near Frobischer Bay, Baffin Island, Northwest Territories (Thomson 13,229), on the Arctic Excursion of the IX Botanical Congress, and from Hagemeister Island, Alaska, by S. Talbot.