in Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Botany Series 16, 2: 210-213.
Protolog: Data lacking.
Protolog type data: Data lacking.
Type locality: Australia, Queensland, Lizard Island, 26 December 1974, R. L. Specht (MEL 1048087 - holotype).
Type locality coordinates: Data lacking.
Molecular barcode: Data lacking.
Thallus: Thallus: Corticolous, or saxicolous, pale green, caespitose, rigid, erect, usually to 2 cm high, exceptionally to 4 cm; branching subdichotomous, sparse to moderate, branches arising from the base with lateral branchlets common; branch width 0.5 - 1.0 mm, subterete to almost terete, rarely flat, never canaliculate, some marginal splitting of the branches between the upper and lower surfaces, apices tapering distally, often recurved; surface matt or shiny, smooth to rugose, fine linear pseudocyphellae and tuberculate pseudocyphellae sometimes present; holdfast delimited; soralia absent. Apothecia rare to common, marginal on flexuous branches or subterminal with the branch continuing to grow forming a long curved spur up to 10 mm, disc (1 -) 1.5 - 3.0 mm diam., plane to convex, some assuming a helmet shape; margin entire; spores fusiform, rarely ellipsoid, straight, rarely bent, some appearing as 3-celled; 12 - 18 (- 22) x 3.8 - 5 (- 6) µm.
Photobiont: Data lacking.
Chemistry: Salazinic acid, ± protocetraric acid, and usnic acid.
Ecology: The distribution of R. tropica is restricted to an area on the eastern coastline of Cape York between latitudes 13°S (Claudie River) and 18°S (Hinchinbrook I.). Is both corticolous and saxicolous over its range, occurring both coastally and on the coastal hills.
Distribution Type: Data lacking.
Note: