[2] They resemble Lobaria, except that most species of Pseudocyphellaria have conspicuous pseudocyphellae on their lower surface, a characteristic that was once considered unique to this genus.

[1] Pseudocyphellaria was originally circumscribed in 1890 by Finnish lichenologist Edvard August Vainio, with P. aurata as the type species.

[3] In the 2010s, molecular phylogenetic analyses showed that this species, along with a few others, nested within a small clade separate from most Pseudocyphellaria.

Pseudocyphellaria crocata has disappeared from much of Scandinavia,[8] a development that has been partly attributed to an increase in grazing from snails, presumably as a result of global warming.

[9] In the areas of Scandinavia where P. crocata is still found, it seems restricted to growing on smaller twigs that are harder for the snails to reach.