However, both share similarities, such as perithecioid ascomata, intertwined paraphysoids set within a hymenial gel matrix, and bitunicate asci.

The primary morphological characteristics of the core group of the family, the type genus Polycoccum, are its thick-walled ascospores that are often distinctly ornamented.

Among the six families exclusively made up of lichenicolous fungi – including Abrothallaceae, Adelococcaceae, Sarcopyreniaceae, Obryzaceae, and Cyphobasidiaceae – Polycoccaceae is the most species-rich.

[3] Diving deeper into their structural composition, the ascomatal wall is observed to either maintain uniform thickness or expand slightly around the ostiole.

When viewed in a vertical cross-section, these cells appear radially compressed, while a surface perspective reveals them to be uniformly shaped, creating a pattern known as textura angularis.

Furthermore, the hymenial gel, a component of the hamathecium, produces a blue to violet colour when exposed to iodine, though in some instances, it remains unaltered.