Ramalina azorica

Ramalina azorica has a dull, shrubby thallus that clusters into dense groups of 5–25 branches. These branches originate from a commonly dark, often blackish base, and can extend up to 11 cm (4.3 in) in length. They are oriented upright to hanging and have a greenish to yellowish-grey hue. The thallus is somewhat fragile and shows a high degree of variability in its branching patterns. Some branches resemble antlers, while others are denser and become cylindrical towards the tips. The surface of these branches is wrinkled, featuring cartilaginous (cartilage-like) strands that rise to the surface to form lines known as pseudocyphellae—areas where the cortex is partially absent, revealing the underlying layer. In cross-section, the branches are flattened and can be distinctly contorted in a cork-screw-like fashion. They typically have a diameter of up to about 5 mm, although they are often much slimmer. This species does not produce soredia, which are small, powdery propagules used for asexual reproduction. Reproductive structures called apothecia appear along the margins of the branches. These are 2–4 mm in diameter and can be flat to convex in shape. The ascospores within these structures are divided by a single septum, are clear (hyaline), and range from straight to slightly curved, measuring 8.8–12 μm long and 3.3–4.4 μm wide. …

Ramalina azorica is found exclusively on the Azores islands of Pico, Terceira, Faial, and São Miguel. This species typically grows on coastal rocks and the lava of walls bordering coastal fields, where it occurs in local abundance.