Ann. Wetter. Gesellsch. Ges. Naturk. 2: 19 (1811) [1810].

Thallus: Pseudopodetia forming loose to dense tufts, sometimes nearly crustaceous, grey to dark grey, at apex often with a distinct purplish tinge, except when sorediose, little to strongly branched, including phyllocladia towards apex distinctly attenuated, whitish, decorticated, covered by a thin tomentum, up to 60 mm long and about 0.5 - 0.9 mm thick at base. Phyllocladia peltate, towards apex of the pseudopodetium becoming granular or even sorediiform, solitary or in little stalked lumps, sometimes somewhat confluent or foliose, bicolorous with a pale grey to olive-green centre, becoming brownish after a long time of conservation and a whitish often somewhat inflated margin. Cephalodia of the spherical type, inconspicuous, with an uneven brown to brown-black surface, with stigonemoid phycobiont. Soralia frequently present on the uppermost part of the pseudopodetium. Apothecia, if present, lateral among the phyllocladia in the upper part of the pseudopodetium, of lecideine appearance, small, up to 1.0 mm in diameter; disc at first concave, finally becoming planoconvex, brown-black; hymenium 40 - 80 µm thick; hypothecium colourless to brownish, up to 35 - 45 µm thick, towards the margin becoming less thick; central cone consists of gelatinized pachydermatous colourless hyphae, which passes into the pseudoexcipulum; this consists of pachydermatous pale yellow-brown hyphae. Ascospores 18 - 36 /2.0 - 4.4 µm, 1 - 2 - 3 septate. Pycnidia sometimes present; conidia filiform and slightly curved, 8.0 - 11.0 / 1.2 µm (Boekhout 1982: 493).

Photobiont: Green alga. In cephalodia stigonemoid alga (Boekhout 1982: 493).

Chemistry: Atranorin, constictic acid, stictic acid, K+ yellow, P+ faintly yellow (Boekhout 1982: 493). Atranorin and stictic acid as major compounds in var. symphycheileoides fide Scholz (1995: 392). Tetrahydroxyfatty acids, Atranol, 4,6-Dihydroxy-2-methoxy-3-methylacetophenone (Huneck & Yoshimura 1996: 154, 155). Methyl ß-orcinolcarboxylate (Huneck & Yoshimura 1996: 160).

Ecology: Quartzitic, volcanic and sandstone rock (Boekhout 1982: 493).

Molecular data: Genbank

Distribution: Database

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