Global occurrence: Eurasia – Europe | Americas – North America (incl Mexico) | Arctic.  Substrate: soil, clay, humus, turf, detritus, dead leaves | bryophytes – mosses, liverworts | bark, cork, plant surface – trunks, branches, twigs | rock – siliceous, siliciferous, acidic | rock, stones, pebbles – unspecified.  Life habit: lichenized (mutualistic with algal photobionts).  Thallus: foliose (foliaceous), leaf-like; continuous, diffuse, effuse; [th] upper surface: green(ish) | brown(ish) (if pale: fawn, tan; if mid: cinnamon) | grey(ish) green; [th upper surface]:= epruinose; [th marginal and upper surface] specific structures: present; [th margin] cilia, cilioid structures: absent; [th upper surface] isidia, isidioid structures: absent; [th upper surface] soredia, soralia, soralioid structures: absent; [th] morphol substructures (eg areoles, lobes, branches) width [mm]: (low) 20.0 (high) 40.0; [th] morphol substructures (eg areoles, squamules): distantly discontiguous; [th] morphol substructures (eg areoles, lobes, branches) upper surface: smooth, plane; [th] morphol substructures (eg lobes, branches): irregular; [th] lower surface: black(ish) | black(ish) grey | brown(ish) grey | white(ish) grey; [th lower surface] specific structures: present; [th lower surface] rhizines, rhizoid structures: present; [th lower surface] rhizines, rhizinoid structures: squarrosely branched, squarrose.  Ascomata: absent.  Secondary metabolites: present; gyrophoric acid | methyl gyrophorate | phlebic acid A (28-acetoxy-22-hydroxyhopane-23-oic acid) | phlebic acid B (22-hydroxyhopane-23-oic acid) | tenuiorin | unknown/unidentified (tri-)terpenoid(s), (tri-)terpene(s).  Primary photobiont: present, chlorophytaceous – trebouxiaceous, chlorococcoid.  Secondary photobionts (eg in cephalodia): present.