They engage in a mutualistic relationship with a photobiont, specifically a chlorococcoid type, which refers to the spherical green algae that provide the lichen with nutrients through photosynthesis.

These paraphyses are non-amyloid, indicating they do not react to staining with iodine, a common method used to study fungal microstructures.

[3] The asci, the spore-bearing cells, have thin walls but are distinguished by a distinct apical structure that is strongly amyloid.

These ascospores are non-septate, meaning they lack internal divisions, and range in shape from spherical (globose) to broadly oval (ellipsoid).

Additionally, Aphanopsidaceae have conidiomata, which are structures that produce asexual spores called conidia.