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, quite stiff, up to 7(-15) cm long branching: moderately branched from a narrow holdfast branches: solid, plane, ciliate cilia: black, marginal, often branching, sometimes simple but may be squarrose or furcate, up to 3(-5) mm wide surface: greenish gray to greenish yellow, smooth, shiny, without soredia pseudocyphellae: ellipsoid to short linear, flat or +depressed cortex: thin; chondroid strands: continuous, smooth, never forming bundles of hyphae Apothecia: common, mostly laminal, up to 6 mm in diam. disc: concave, with bluish white pruina; margin: cartilaginous, entire, often with black pigmentation forming a black lip around the disc, usually with conspicuous pseudocyphellae asci: elongate-clavate, 8-spored ascospores: hyaline, 1-septate, narrowly fusiform, 15-17 x 3-3.5 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: Baja California. Notes: Ramalina crinita is easily distinguished from other species of Ramalina in North America by its marginal or terminal cilia on branches. Rundel and Bowler (1974) established a new genus Trichoramalina based upon Ramalina crinita Tuck. and a second species in southern Africa. In the protologue, they stressed the presence of black pycnidia, terminal cilia and a thicker cortex in the new genus. However, R. crinita has many characteristic features of Ramalina, such as 2-celled ascospores, pale or secondarily black pigmented pycnidia, bacilliform conidia, short, linear pseudocyphellae and prosoplectenchymatous cortex. Although the presence of black cilia is unique for this species, thicker cortices and black pigmented pycnidia are also observed in other species of Ramalina, especially R. siliquosa group. Because the presence of cilia alone is not considered sufficient grounds to support a separate genus, Trichoramalina is herein regarded as a synonym of Ramalina.