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, up to 5 cm long branching: dichotomously or irregularly branched, growing from a common holdfast branches: solid, main branches +canaliculate to irregularly furrowed, distal branches attenuate, 0.5-2.5 mm wide surface: greenish yellow, smooth, turning reddish brown in herbaria, shiny soredia: absent pseudocyphellae: common, sparse, orbicular, raised, semi-globose cortex: thin; chondroid strands: discontinuous, smooth Apothecia: very rare, laminal, up to 3 mm in diam. disc: flat to +concave, with a white margin; margin: entire or dissected; smooth to reticulately ridged, concolorous with the thallus, rarely with sparse pseudocyphellae asci: elongate-clavate, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, 1-septate, broadly fusiform, 11-14 x 4-5 µm Pycnidia: not observed Spot tests: cortex K-, C-, KC+ yellow, P-; medulla K+ yellow turning dark red, C-, KC-, P+ orange Secondary metabolites: cortex with usnic acid (major); medulla with salazinic acid (major). Substrate and ecology: on branches World distribution: common in central and southern Mexico Sonoran distribution: rare in Baja California and Sinaloa. Notes: Ramalina canalicularis might be confused with R. alludens, from which it can be clearly distinguished by its semi-globose and raised pseudocyphellae, its broadly fusiform ascospores and by the absence of divaricatic and sekikaic acids.