This species is easily recognized by its vagrant habit and its dark browon subfoliose to foliose 1-4 cm long thallus. The species mostly reproduces by fragmentation since apothecia are only known from a single specimen. No other vagrant Circinaria looks like C. emiliae. Vagrant Dermatocarpon could resemble C. emiliae but are easily differentiated by the presence of perithecia. Extreme vagrant forms of Cetraria aculeata in steppe areas may also looks similar to C. emiliae, but they show more common and larger pseudocyphellae and different anatomical structure.

The species has been recently included in phylogenetic analyses of the group. It is closely related to C. esculenta and C. elmorei.

Synonyms:
Lecanora emiliae Tomin in Природа и сельское хозяйство засушливо-пустынных областей СССР. 1929. №3. (Priroda i sel’skoye khozyaistvo zasushlivo-pustynnykh oblastey SSSR).
Aspicilia emiliae (Tomin) Oxner in Izv. Kievsk. Bot. Sada. 1929. V. 10.
Sphaerothallia emiliae (Tomin) Follmann & A. Crespo in Anales Inst. Bot. Cavanilles. 1974. V. 31.

Megasporaceae Lumbsch, Feige & K. Schmitz,
Pertusariales M. Choisy ex D. Hawksw. & O. E. Erikss.

Circinaria emiliae is known from arid regions of Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. In Russia it is probably extinct. The last collection dated 1926. The species is known from six localities in Kazakhstan and from one in Mongolia.

Criterion A:  Most collections are historical and the number of current localities where the species occurs in unknown. However, due to the past, current and expected pressure on the habitat (gypsum mining) and considering that in Russia the species is likely extinct. We consider the species Vulnerable under criterion A2ac, and A3c.
Criterion B: This criterion does no apply since current AOO and EOO are unknown due to the lack of data on the status of several historical collections.

Criterion C: No information is available about the total number of individuals of this species. Thus, subcriteria C1 and C2 are not applicable.
Criterion D: The total number of individuals is unknown and the area of occupancy (AOO) is also not known. This criterion does not apply.
Criterion E: No quantitative analyses have been carried out.

The species is assessed as VU A2ac adn A3c based on past, present and estimated future severe pressure on tis habitat and until proper evaluation of the current staus of historical populations is carried out. 

Russia, vicinity of Baskuntschak lake (Tomin 1929, Keller 1930), probably extinct in this locality
Kazakhstan, Atyrau region, Outskirts of Azgyr village (Kulakov 06059902, Kulakov 2507970212)
Kazakhstan, Atyrau region, Height of Besshoky (Kulakov 08059901)
Kazakhstan, Atyrau region, Vicinity of Inder lake (Keller 60)
Kazakhstan, West Kazakhstan Region, approximately 230 km to South from Ural’sk, Kalmykova fort (‘Krepost’ Kalmykova’) (Pallas)
Kazakhstan, Shalkar district, near Chelkar settlement, vicinity of Djamantau mountain (Krasheninnikov)
Kazakhstan, Almaty region?, Vicinity of Koshkarbay (Sohrabi et al., 2013)
Mongolia, Gov-Altai aimaq, Taishir sum, right bank of Zavkhan River, c. 3 km N of Taishir Town (Biazrov 8364)

The species is known only from 8 localities in Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. Some collections were made almost 100 years ago. In one locality the species is probably disappeared. In populations in Western Kazakhstan (Besshoky and Azgir) Circinaria emiliae has relatively high quantity. There are no current data on populations in the Central and Eastern Kazakhstan and Mongolia.

Vagrant species, found between small pebbles in salty gypsum soils in semi-desert steppes in Centrla Asia.

Trampling, grazing, recreation, mining. Possible habitats in Russia near Bogdinsko-Baskunchakskiy reserve are threatened by possible gypsum mining.

No conservation actions are currently taken. Research into finding of populations in Bogdinsko-Baskunchakskiy natural reserve and in natural reserves in Kazakhstan is needed.

Research into distribution of populations, their structure, dynamics as well as propagation and life cycle is necessary.

Томин М.П. Новые виды почвенных лишайников. Природа и сельское хозяйство засушливо-пустынных областей СССР. Воронеж 1929. №3.  С. 57–59. (Tomin M.P. Novyye vidy pochvennykh lishainikov. Priroda i sel’skoye khozyaistvo zasushlivo-pustynnykh oblastey SSSR. 1929. 3: 57–59).
Keller B.A. Die Erdflehten und Cyanophyceen um unteren Lauf der Volga und des Ural. Vegetationsbilder. Jena, 1930. Reihe 20, Heft 8.
Кулаков В. Г. Кустистые и листоватые лишайники Нижнего Поволжья. Волгоград: Б.и., 2002. 125 c. (Kulakov V.G. Kustistyye i listovatyye lishainiki Nizhnego Povolzhya. 2002. 125 p.).
Savicz V.P. De lichene curioso Aspicilia emiliae notula. Bot. Mater. Otd. Sporov. Rast. Bot. Inst. Komarova. Akad Nauk SSSR. 1962. 15: 5–7.
Sohrabi M., Stenroos S., Myllys L., Søchting U., Ahti T., Hyvönen J. 2013: Phylogeny and taxonomy of the ‘manna lichens’. Mycological Progress. 12(2): 231-269.