Central to each cell is a pyrenoid, which is encircled by what appears to be a continuous starch sheath.

[2] Reproduction in Asterochloris italiana occurs through the production of zoospores and aplanospores.

[2] This species was isolated from the lichen Xanthoria parietina by Ruggero Tomaselli, initially identified as Trebouxia decolorans by Vernon Ahmadjian, and is maintained in the Cambridge Culture Centre under the number 219/5b.

[2] The alga has been identified from lichens collected in Ukraine, the Ural Mountains, and Antarctica.

[1] It is a frequent photobiont partner for the genus Cladonia, particularly Australasian specimens.