Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has been publicly available since at least the 1960s and continues to remain a valuable research tool. A growing number of lichen taxa have been imaged using SEM, pro‐viding a new perspective and understanding of the anatomy of lichens. Using the electron microscopy facility at Oregon State University, I examined select structures of two species of Stereocaulon which occur in California, S. intermedium and S. sterile. Resulting images allowed the characterization of the similarities and differences of structures between the two species which ongoing molecular studies have recently suggested to be different morphologies of the same species. I describe the internal structure of cephalodia, pseudopodetia, apothecia, and surface details of phyllocladia and cephalodia. Key Words: Stereocaulon sterile, Stereocaulon intermedium, scanning electron microscope, lichen structure, anatomy.