[1] This greenish-grey shrubby lichen, endemic to the Galápagos Islands, was formally described as a new species in 2007 by Dutch lichenologist André Aptroot.

The type specimen for this species was collected by the author on the coastal lava cliffs east of Puerto Ayora near the Charles Darwin Research Station in the Galápagos Islands.

[2] Characterised by its highly variable branching pattern, Ramalina polyforma is generally shrubby with a dull appearance, its greenish-grey thallus reaching diameters up to 3 cm (1.2 in).

The medulla reacts to a K spot test by turning orange-yellow and then red, and emits a white glow under UV light.

[2] Ramalina polyforma inhabits the rocky landscapes of the Galápagos Islands and is commonly found across all vegetation zones, particularly on rocks with moderate exposure to sheltered conditions.