In North America, the common and abundant coastal, corticolous species currently known as Parmotrema rigidum (Lynge) Hale, is shown to be morphologically distinct from the South American type and other South American representatives of the species based on both ascospore and conidial size. We describe the North American taxon as Parmotrema subrigidum Egan sp. nov., recognizing two chemical strains, one with atranorin and alectoronic acid and a second with atranorin, alectoronic, and norstictic acids.