Aspicilia cinerea

Flat to almost convex areoles are angular to irregular, and 0.2–2 mm in diameter. They are contiguous but clearly separated by well defined cracks. It usually lacks a prothallus. It may be rimose toward the outer edges. Each areole has 1–10, round to angular or irregular, 0.1–1.6 mm apothecia that may be confluent when numerous. Apothecia have usually black concave discs, with exciple margins of thallus tissue. Asci are club shaped (clavate), with 8 ellipsoid ascospores.

Lichen spot tests on the cortex and medulla are K+ red, KC−, P+ yellow or P+ orange, with the medulla sometimes testing K+ yellow and P+ orange. Secondary metabolites include norstictic acid and often connorstictic acid in traces, and more rarely hyposalazinic acid.

The photobiont is a chlorococcoid.