Bryologist 89, 3: 222 (1987) [1986].
Basionym: Hypogymnia oroarctica Krog, Lichenologist 6, 2: 136 (1974).
Synonyms: Index Fungorum
Protolog: Data lacking.
Thallus: foliose, to 10 cm diameter, irregularly spreading, loosely attached, brown to dark brown to black and only rarely paler, shiny but dull in central parts; lobes often ascending and somewhat entangled, narrow, to 1 mm wide, forked or irregularly branched, tapering at the tips, often linear but torulose (constricted at intervals); lower surface black, usually with a thin whitish pruina in the outer parts, brown at the lobe tips. Apothecia rare, to 5 mm diam.; disc brown. Spores broadly ellipsoid, 10-12 x 8 μ. Pycnidia frequent. Conidia bifusiform, 5-7 x 1 μ.
Photobiont: Data lacking.
Chemistry: Cortex K+ yellow; atranorin. Medulla C+, red, K, KC+ red, PD, or PD+ orange near the lobe tips; physodic acid and traces of protocetraric acid and sometimes ?imarprotocetraric acid.
Ecology: Saxicolous on highly exposed siliceous (basaltic in Iceland) rocks in alpine areas or tundra heaths occasionally on soil or small pebbles on the ground in windswept patches.
Molecular data: Genbank
Distribution: Distinctly northern, occurring only at high altitudes in the southem parts of its distribution area. An arctic-alpine, northern boreal, circumpolar species and the only Brodoa occurring in North America. Database
Note:
Type locality: Norway, Svalbard, Spitsbergen, Lomfjorden, Dvergbreen, 1931, Scholander (O - holotype).
Barcode: Available. Data lacking.
Coordinates: Data lacking.