[5] The genus Ramalina consists of shrubby (fruticose) lichens that often appear tufted, ranging from erect to hanging (pendulous) forms.

Beneath the cortex lies a well-developed, cylindrical layer of interwoven fungal filaments hyphae), which is absent in species like Ramalina lacera.

The medulla, a loosely packed layer of hyphae beneath the photobiont, is usually airy and web-like (arachnoid) but can be denser or even absent in hollow branches.

Ramalina also produces asexual reproductive structures called pycnidia, which are tiny, flask-shaped bodies with an opening (ostiole) that may be pale or darkened.

The identity and relative abundance of photobionts appears to be more strongly influenced by geographic location and local climate than by the particular Ramalina species involved.

This suggests that Ramalina fungi tend to associate with locally adapted photobionts rather than maintaining exclusive partnerships with specific algal species.

Studies of R. farinacea have found that young thalli often contain more diverse algal communities compared to mature specimens, indicating that photobiont selection may be an ongoing process during lichen development.