Phytologia 28: 334 (1974).
Basionym: Parmelia abessinica Kremp., Linnaea 41: 140 (1877).
Type locality coordinates: Data lacking.
Type locality photo: Data lacking.
Type scan: Data lacking.
Molecular barcode: Data lacking.
Thallus: foliose, more or less coraceous, adnate to loosely attached, pale grey. Lobes 0.5 - 1 cm wide, margins ascending, crenate, ciliate, cilia 0.5 - 1.5 - 2 mm long. Upper side faintly to distinctly maculate, rugose and cracked with age. Medulla white. Under side rugose, sparsely rhizinate, black in the centre, with a brown, mottled, or white marginal zone. Isidia and soredia absent. Apothecia common, often crowded, stipitate, up to 1 cm in diameter, thalline margin smooth to crenulate, eciliate or very rarely ciliate, disc perforate. Spores 15 - 18 - 20 / 8 - 10 µm. Pycnoconidia weakly sublageniform, 6 - 8 µm long (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 169).
Photobiont: Probably Trebouxia.
Chemistry:
Ecology: Corticolous. In East Africa in dry, well-lit sites, often in artificial habitats, common and widespread at 900 to 260 m altitude (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 169).
Distribution type: Data lacking.
Taxonomy: Data lacking.
Note: Parmotrema abessinicum may be considered the parent morph of the sorediate P. hababianum (Swinscow & Krog 1988: 169).
Distribution Database: Distributions
Distribution Database: Discover Life
Picture Database: Tropical Lichens
Molecular Database: Genbank
Synonym Database: Index Fungorum
Synonym Database: Mycobank
Race I: Norlobaridone (KC+ purple), more or less loxodin, protolichesterinic acid, atranorin
Race II: Norlobaridone (KC+ purple), more or less loxodin, atranorin
Race III: Protolichesterinic acid, atranorin
Race IV: undetermined fatty acids with Rf values in TA intermediate between those of protolichesterinic and caperatic acids, atranorin (all following Swinscow & Krog 1988: 169).
Race V: Cryptochlorphaeic acid-strain (Sipman & Wolf 1998: 19 for material from Chiapas, Mexico).