Thallus: foliose, adnate to loosely adnate, 3-8 cm in diam., irregularly lobate; lobes: subirregular, elongate, plane to subconvex, separate, contiguous to somewhat imbricate, 1-2.5 mm wide, not lobulate; apices: subrotund, smooth to crenate, eciliate; upper surface: light yellow-green, smooth, shiny to dull, often strongly rugulose, epruinose and emaculate, sparsely to moderately isidiate; isidia: initially globose, soon becoming cylindrical and irregularly inflated, mostly unbranched, 0.1-0.2 mm in diam., 0.1-0.4 mm tall; tips: weakly epicorticate, brown; soralia and pustulae absent; medulla: white, with continuous algal layer; lower surface: pale to medium brown, plane, moderately to densely rhizinate; rhizines: pale brown, simple, 0.2-0.5 mm long; Apothecia: not observed; Pycnidia: not observed; Spot tests: upper cortex K-, C-, KC-, P-; medulla K-, C+ red, KC+ red, P-; Secondary metabolites: upper cortex with usnic acid (major); medulla with lecanoric acid (major).; Substrate and ecology: on acidic rocks, often in open, arid to woodland habitats; World distribution: southwestern North America; Sonoran distribution: rarely at lower to intermediate elevations in Chihuahua and Sonora.; Note: Xanthoparmelia joranada is the only Xanthoparmelia in the Sonoran region with lecanoric acid.