Here it was found growing on an exposed rock in a heath bald community dominated by ericaceous shrubs such as Rhododendron, Vaccinium, and Kalmia, at an altitude of 5,160 ft (1,570 m).

[1] The specific epithet honors Dolly Parton, described by the authors as "one of the most famous country singers of all time and a native of the southern Appalachians".

[1] Japewiella dollypartoniana is a crustose lichen with a more or less circular greenish-gray to brown thallus measuring up to 2–6 cm (0.8–2.4 in), although sometimes neighbouring thalli coalesce to form larger aggregates.

The thallus features soralia that break through the surface, comprising discrete spherical soredia that are in the size range 10–50 μm.

In 2017, it was reported as new to North America based on sterile material from Eagle Hill in Maine (United States) and Ontario (Canada).