Ramalina subfraxinea var. confirmata (Nylander) N. Stevens, 1987

Marcano, Vicente, Méndez, Antonio Morales & Prü, Ernesto Palacios, 2021, The genus Ramalina Acharius (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes, Ramalinaceae) in northern South America, Phytotaxa 504 (1), pp. 1-77 : 60-61

44. Ramalina subfraxinea var. confirmata (Nylander) N. Stevens

Bull. Br. Mus. Nat. Hist. (Bot.) 16: 205 (1987) . – Ramalina fraxinea subsp. confirmata Nylander, Bull. Soc. Linn. Normandie II , 4: 138 (1870). Type :― AUSTRALIA. Swan River: 1846, Verreaux s.n. (lectotype H–NYL! 37423).

Chemistry (TLC, HPTLC): Cryptochlorophaeic and 4’– O –methylcryptochlorophaeic acids (+/–).

Ecology and distribution: This species is found growing on exposed branches of trees and bushes in rainforests, asociated with R. dictyota and R. pusiola at 900–1400 m. It is known from Australia, New Caledonia, Timor ( Zanzibar) and South America ( Venezuela).

Remarks: In northern South America this varieties is only known from the Venezuelan Andes ( Fig. 5 ). The morphological and chemical characters of this varieties have been described in detail by Morales & Marcano (1994). Stevens (1987) reported the presence of minor quantities of paludosic acid in specimens from Australia.

Specimens examined: VENEZUELA: Mérida: Hacienda Los Topes, near Chiguará , 1300–1400 m, 12 February 1984, A. Morales 93 (B); Los Topes, San Juanito, Chiguará, 1200 m, A. Morales 93–b; 900 m, A. Morales 450, 451 ( MERF) .

Figures

FIGURES 4– 5. Upper surface of R. venezuelensis showing pseudocyphellae as observed by SEM. 14. Lateral pseudocyphellae and small pore-like structures, scale = 15 mm. 15. Lateral pseudocyphellae, scale = 30.5 µm.