Flavoplaca citrina first scientifically described and named in 1796 by the German lichenologist Georg Franz Hoffmann, who initially placed it in the genus Verrucaria.

[3] Ulf Arup and colleagues transferred the taxon to the genus Flavoplaca in 2013, following a molecular phylogenetics-based restructuring of the family Teloschistaceae.

Thicker thalli often break into irregular, coarse areoles (small, discrete areas), typically appearing green-yellow or green in shaded conditions.

[5] Flavoplaca citrina is commonly found on calcareous (chalky) or nutrient-rich substrates, such as limestone, concrete, mortar, bone, and asbestos cement.

Research has identified F. citrina as an indicator species for such bird-influenced habitats, particularly on cliff faces where peregrine falcons and ravens nest.