Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2004. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 2.
Thallus: fruticose, shrubby to subpendulous, up to 7(15) cm long branching: irregularly or dichotomously branched from a narrow holdfast branches: solid, flattened, minutely hairy, up to 3(-5) mm wide surface: greenish gray to greenish yellow, irregularly uneven, dull, without soredia pseudocyphellae: rare, ellipsoid, laminal or rarely marginal, flat to +depressed cortex: thin; chondroid strands: continuous, smooth Apothecia: common, submarginal, up to 3(-7) mm in diam.; disc: concave, with white pruina, without white margin; margin: concolorous with the thallus, reticulately rugose, with sparse pseudocyphellae asci: elongate-clavate, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, 1-septate, broadly fusiform, slightly curved, 1316(- 19) x 4.5-5.6 µm Pycnidia: not observed Spot tests: cortex K-, C-, KC+ yellow, P-; medulla K-, C-, KC-, P- Secondary metabolites: cortex with usnic acid (major); medulla: none detected. Substrate and ecology: on bark World and Sonoran distribution: infrquent in coastal, southern California. Note: Ramalina puberulenta resembles R. leptocarpha, from which it can be distinguished by the presence of cortical hairs on the branch surfaces.