Lynge B 1928. Lichens from Novaya Zemlya. In Holtedahl O. Report of the Scientific Results of the Norwegian Expedition to Novaya Zemlya 1921. Oslo. 1-299.
Thallus crustose effuse, pale grayish-brown, granular, granules confluent, soft/flexible, diam. 0.2-0.4 mm, convex, crenate, rugulose.
Apothecia soon convex, immarginate, diam. 0.4-0.7 mm, black, epruinose, scabrous. Excipulum stipitate becoming gray-black, upper part subhyaline or very pale grayish- brown or trending towards very slightly green. Hypothecium hyaline or very pale green. Hymenium 80-90 µ tall, bluish-green-dark brown or black above, pale green beyond this, oil droplets (always?) +/- inspersed. Paraphyses very tightly conglutinate. Spores large: 18-24 X 5-8 µ (apothecia sometimes without spores).
Medulla J ÷, hymenium J wine-coloured, asci J +/- blue. Medulla and apothecia KOH and CaCl2O2 no change.
Its characters refer it to the sect. alpestris TH. FR. near Lecidea arctica and especially Lecidea pallida.Lecidea arctica is always found on mosses.It has much smaller (0.1 mm.), firmer, almost papillateo-coralloid granules and slightly smaller spores: 13-18 X 6-8 µ.Lecidea pallida has a characteristic yellowish-white colour (“stramineus vel pallid ochroleucus”, TH. FR. Lich. Scand. pag. 539) and firmer granules.Either of these species generally has caesio-pruinose apothecia, but the pruina is (sic) occasionally lacking.