It was tentatively placed in the genus Parmelia although its true generic placement is difficult to determine with only a single specimen available for analysis.

The fossil was discovered in Dominican amber and formally described as a new species in 2000 by George Poinar Jr., Eric Peterson, and Jamie Platt.

[1] Because of its resemblance to modern-day members of Parmelia, the fossil lichen has been placed provisionally in that genus, although the authors acknowledge that without sacrificing more of the single available specimen for analysis, it is impossible to assert this definitively.

Although the authors noted "striking resemblance" to some members of Hypotrachyna, they chose to tentatively group the fossil taxon in Parmelia because of the mostly simple (i.e., unbranched) rhizines, a trait characteristic of that genus.

The upper thallus surface is shiny and greenish in colour, lacking pseudocyphellae (tiny pores).