He gathered the type specimen from above the banks of the Saju Pokhari near Topke Gola, at an elevation ranging from 4,520 and 4,575 metres (14,829 and 15,010 ft), thriving on moist sandy soil alongside mosses and grasses.

[3] Ted Esslinger circumscribed Awasthia in 1978 to contain the species, characterised by its unusually branched rhizines and the presence of the substances gyrophoric and lecanoric acids.

[3] The thallus structure includes a top layer (upper cortex) made of tightly packed, roundish to slightly angular cells, creating a protective covering about 16–20 μm thick.

The central layer (medulla) consists of tightly packed, longitudinally aligned fungal filaments (hyphae), appearing compact in cross-section and sometimes resembling the upper cortex due to their density.

Chemical spot tests on the upper cortex and medulla show no reaction, indicating the absence of certain lichen products often used for identification.