Ramalina glaucescens
Synonyms
Ramalina leiodea var. condensata Zahlbr.
Family
Ramalinaceae
Flora category
Lichen – Native
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Brief description
Characterised by the corticolous/lignicolous (rarely saxicolous) habit; rather variable thallus, size and form depending on habitat; branches flat to occasionally subterete and sometimes appearing almost inflated; pseudocyphellae rare; apothecia crowded, terminal or subterminal; and sekikaic acid in the medulla.
Distribution
North Island: South Auckland (Waikatao, Te Awamutu), Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, to Wellington (Wanganui – Manawatu, Rangatikei). South Island: Nelson to Southland, East of the Main Divide.
Also in South and East Australia and Tasmania.
Habitat
Most common in inland Otago and Canterbury. On bark of both introduced and native trees and shrubs, on fence posts, gates, bird nests, insect cases and rarely from rocks, s.l. to 1,650 m. The highest recorded specimen grows on a tanalised wooden snowfence on the summit of the Old Man Range at 1,650 m.
Detailed description
Thallus erect to somewhat straggling, normally ± pulvinate, 1-3(-6) cm tall, holdfast somewhat indeterminate, comprised of fused bases of several branches, corticolous. Branches linear-laciniate, 1-3 mm wide, often appearing ± inflated- subterete when young, flat to subcanaliculate, pale yellowish or greenish or grey-yellow, glossy, smooth or minutely striate-corrugate or ribbed, or wrinkled-plicate, often longitudinally cracked or fissured near base, without laminal pseudocyphellae or soredia. Apothecia subpedicellate, marginal (1-)2-3(-4) mm diam., ± clustered towards apices of branches, geniculate, disc concave to plane, glaucous-yellowish or pinkish-yellow or glaucous-whitish, thinly white- pruinose, margin elevated, entire or subcrenulate, thalline exciple smooth or coarsely wrinkled-corrugate. Ascospores oblong, curved 11-17 × 4-6 µm.
Chemistry: Sekikaic, homosekikaic (tr.) ± lecanoric acids.
Similar taxa
Ramalina inflexa is similar but apothecia are ‘rather rare’ in that species, and are terminal, with a plane or convex, rarely concave disc.
Substrate
Corticolous, lignicolous
Etymology
ramalina: Meaning small branches, twiggy.
glaucescens: Becoming glaucous
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared by Marley Ford (4 August 2022). Brief description, Distribution, Habitat, Features, and Extra information sections copied from Galloway (1985, 2007).
References and further reading
Galloway D.J. 1985: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Wellington: PD Hasselberg, Government Printer. 662 pp.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.