Ramalina farinacea (L.) Ach.Thallus fruticose, greenish, shrubby or tufted, pendulous in very well-developed specimens, to 7(-15) cm long, irregularly or dichotomously branched from a narrow basal holdfast. Branches solid, flattened but not dorsiventral, 1-3(-5) mm wide, smooth, with well-delimited, elliptical to round, marginal soralia; soredia farinose, 20-30 µm. Cortex 2-layered, the outer part paraplectenchymatous, the inner part cartilaginous; medulla compact. Apothecia very rare, mostly laminal, lecanorine, to 6 mm in diam. Asci elongate-clavate, 8-spored, <i>Bacidia-</i>type. Ascospores 1-septate, hyaline, broadly fusiform, (8-)10-15 x 5-7 µm. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests and chemistry: cortex K-, C-, KC- or KC+ pale yellow, P-, with usnic acid; medulla and soralia: four chemotypes: a) K- or K+ orange-brown, P+ orange-red, UV- (protocetraric acid), b) K+ yellow then red, P+ yellow-orange, UV- (salazinic acid and traces of norstictic acid), c) K-, P-, UV+ blue-white (hypoprotocetraric acid), and, d) K-, P-, UV- (no lichen substances). 
