It is found in Kenya, Cameroon, and South India, where it typically grows on bark, but less frequently on rock.

The type specimen was collected near Ngutwa village, Wote (Eastern Province, Kenya).

The specific epithet schimperiana honours German botanist Georg Wilhelm Schimper, who was the first to scientifically collect lichens in East Africa.

[1] Parmelinella schimperiana is a greyish-green, foliose (leafy) species measuring 3–7 cm (1.2–2.8 in) across.

The lobes comprising the thallus are somewhat irregularly branched and measure 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) wide with rounded or scalloped edges.