The lichen was first formally described by Finnish lichenologist William Nylander in 1860 as Parmelia tiliacea var.

[1] Found in Brazil, B. vainioi was created to hold specimens with ascospores over 12 μm long that were included by Hale provisionally in Bulbothrix sensibilis.

[5] However, as Benatti explained, this spore size is well within the range reported for B. meizospora, and both of the taxa are morphologically and chemically identical (as determined with lichen spot tests).

The thallus comprises small, tightly attached (adnate) and irregularly branched lobes that are 2–4 mm wide.

The medulla is white, while the lower thallus surface is dull, black, wrinkled, and papillate (covered with small protuberances), with a dark brown margin that measures 0.1–3 mm wide.