The type specimen was collected from Cape Punta Banda in Baja California, where it was found growing on rock pavement on a south-facing slope.

The specific epithet ignea (meaning "fire-red") refers to the color of the lobes, which are often orange-red at the base with paler tips – somewhat resembling flames.

[2] In 2013, Arup transferred the taxon to the new genus Polycauliona in a molecular phylogenetic-based reorganization of the Teloschistaceae.

[3] A year later, Kondratyuk and colleagues reorganized Teloschistaceae subfamily Caloplacoideae, and circumscribed genus Igneoplaca to contain the taxon.

Its cortical layer is paraplectenchymatous (fungal tissue with a cellular structure superficially like parenchyma of vascular plants), while its medulla is prosoplectenchymatous (fungal tissue with a structure superficially like collenchyma of vascular plants).