It is unique due to its specific structure and lack of lichen products, which are typically found in related species.

The type specimen was discovered on the summit of Mount Dumas on Campbell Island, New Zealand, at an altitude of 503 m (1,650 ft).

[2] This lichen species has a brown, heteromerous thallus that forms tufts up to 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in) across.

The photobiont (the photosynthetic partner) in this lichen is a cyanobacterium called Nostoc, which has individual cells measuring 3–5 μm in diameter.

[2] Protopannaria campbellensis can be distinguished from similar species, such as P. alcicornis and P. austro-orcadensis, by its broader and flattened marginal lobes and the absence of a distinct lower cortex.