It is found in diverse geographic areas including Africa, North and South America, Asia, Australasia, Europe, and islands in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Hudson described it as a foliaceous (leafy) lichen with creeping, lobed, and smooth characteristics, having a pearly edge, a farinaceous (pruinose) texture, and a black underside, adorned with slightly scalloped, brown, stalked fruiting bodies.

[5] The nomenclature of Parmotrema perlatum was revisited in the late 20th century, amid a broader effort to clarify the typification and application of early lichen names.

Mason Hale, in 1961, undertook a detailed restudy of the species,[6] selecting a lectotype from the Dillenian collections—the herbarium and associated works of Johann Jacob Dillenius housed at the University of Oxford.

Specifically, the genetic analysis of P. perlatum and related species revealed multiple distinct lineages that were previously grouped under a single nominal taxon.

These findings highlight the need for a comprehensive taxonomic re-evaluation of P. perlatum to accurately delineate species boundaries and account for hidden genetic diversity.

[10] In a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis by Stelate and colleagues (2022), P. perlatum and P crinitum were found to form a well-supported monophyletic group using internal transcribed spacer sequences and several analytical methods.

The tips and edges of these lobes are generally smooth and round, sometimes notched (crenate) or incised, often curling up or inward, revealing the paler brown to black underside adorned with hair-like structures (cilia) up to 2.5 mm in length.

[14] The upper surface of the lichen is typically whitish grey to pale greenish-grey, and can be either smooth or slightly wrinkled, without spots (immaculate), featuring scattered, shallow cracks.

The lichen shows high levels of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and ascorbate peroxidase, protecting the photobiont from oxidative damage during dehydration and rehydration cycles.

[22] A more recent study using liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry as an analysis technique tentatively identified a total of twenty-five lichen products, including 5 depsides, 12 depsidones, 2 diphenyl ethers, 1 aromatic considered as possible artifact, 1 dibenzofuran, 1 carbohydrate, 1 organic acid, and 2 undefined compounds.

[26] Parmotrema perlatum is similar to P. crinitum due to both species having a brown to tan, erhizinate marginal zone and the presence of the stictic acid chemosyndrome in the medulla.

[29] In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the United States, Parmotrema perlatum is especially abundant on branches in humid, high-elevation habitats.

[30] Similarly, in East Africa, it grows in the misty environments of inselbergs, montane forests, and Erica-dominated habitats, typically found between 1,400 and 3,100 m (4,600 and 10,200 ft) above sea level.

It has been reported across numerous European countries including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Scandinavia, Slovakia, Spain, and Ukraine.

[27] Although it has historically been recorded in Nepal and Sri Lanka, these reports are considered tentative due to shifting species concepts and possible confusion with the lookalike Parmotrema pseudonilgherrense.

[32] Parmotrema perlatum is globally widespread lichen found on all continents except Antarctica and predominantly in oceanic areas in Europe, primarily grows on bark and occasionally on siliceous rocks amongst mosses.

[36][37] Its recent recurrence in Hungary, particularly on some unusual hosts (Catalpa bignonioides, Prunus serotina, and Robinia pseudoacacia) have been suggested as a possible consequence of "a recolonisation process, due to the improving air quality".

[38] Parmotrema perlatum is an important species within specific lichen communities in British woodlands, particularly those in late successional mesotrophic settings in oceanic or humid microclimates.

This community includes, in addition to P. perlatum, dominant foliose lichens like Lobaria pulmonaria, Hypotrachyna taylorensis, and Parmotrema crinitum, as well as bryophytes such as Isothecium myosuroides.

[40] Lichenicolous (lichen-dwelling) fungi that have been recorded parasitising Parmotrema perlatum include Abrothallus parmotrematis, Briancoppinsia cytospora, Lichenoconium erodens, and Spirographa lichenicola.

[42] Additionally, Parmotrema perlatum is red-listed in Sweden[43] In northern North America, its NatureServe conservation status is designated as "G4", meaning "apparently secure" at the global level.

In the United States, it has been assessed as secure in Kentucky and presumed extirpated in Wisconsin, while in Canada, it is considered as vulnerable in British Columbia and Ontario, and critically imperiled in New Brunswick.

[46] Recent research highlights the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and photocatalytic capabilities of zinc oxide nanoparticles synthesised using Parmotrema perlatum, marking a significant step towards sustainable dyeing practices and broadening the lichen's applicative horizons.

Referenced in ancient Ayurvedic texts and first mentioned in the Atharvaveda around 1500 BCE, charila is a lichen mixture traditionally used in India for its purported medicinal properties.

It has been employed to treat various ailments, including digestive and respiratory issues, skin conditions, and reproductive health concerns, and it also serves as an ingredient in treatments for infertility.

This sensitivity is utilised in the "Hawksworth and Rose" scale, which estimates mean winter sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels in England and Wales by observing lichens on acidic and nutrient-poor bark.

[49][50] A 2022 study analyzed the effects of SO2 and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) fumigation on the chlorophyll content of Parmotrema perlatum collected from the Mount Lawu volcano in Indonesia.

The methanol extract of this species has been shown to significantly reduce blood glucose levels in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, attributed to its inhibitory activity on alpha-glucosidase rather than an effect on insulin secretion.

The crude polysaccharide fraction of this lichen demonstrated antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, which are common pathogens in diabetic foot ulcers.