A terricolous lichen, the thallus is subgelatinous when wet and has a characteristic pale ochraceous colour due to Leptosira photobionts. Perithecia are black, submersed, only visible as dark dots. Spores are simple.
Thrombium epigaeum is an early colonizer of sandy and clayey soils, contributes to stabilization of the upper soil surface. It is rare to scattered, but can be locally abundant. It is found from lowlands to mountains, most commonly on anthropogenic substrates (road and railway notches, sand quarries, ground prepared for construction works etc), but also on natural substrates (root plates of wind-blown trees, eroding slopes, etc).
Literature: Vězda A. (1968): Taxonomische Revision der Gattung Thelopsis Nyl. (Lichenisierte Fungi). – Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica 3: 363–406.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Ostropales → Thrombiaceae → Thrombium
Red List (Liška & Palice 2010):LC – least concern
Red List (Malíček 2023):DD – data deficient
Occurrence in the Czech Republic
All records: 35, confirmed 28. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).