[2] Phylogenomic analysis suggests that the divergence between the lichenised Verrucariales and nonlichenised Chaetothyriales occurred about 131 million years ago.

These lichens are remarkable for their ability to thrive in a wide range of environments, from extremely dry land habitats to freshwater and even marine ecosystems, where they are particularly abundant.

Many species contain melanin, a dark pigment also found in human skin, which is a characteristic shared with another fungal order called Chaetothyriales.

[4] For sexual reproduction, these fungi typically develop flask-shaped structures called perithecia, which may be embedded within the lichen body or grow on its surface.

At maturity, the reproductive structures of Verrucariales lack certain sterile tissues (called interascal elements) that are present in many other fungi, a feature they share with the order Chaetothyriales.