Ramalina subpollinaria Nylander

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 : 61-62

45. Ramalina subpollinaria Nylander

Bull. Soc. Linn. Normandie, sér 2, 4: 125 (1870) . Type:― PERÚ. Callao: Gaudichaud (lectotype H–NYL 37050).

Thallus corticolous (rarely saxicolous), erect or decumbent, densely and dichotomously branched, 2–6 cm long. Branches solid, canaliculate, surface smooth, 1–1.5 mm wide. Soralia apical, capitate, hemispherical or forming an imperfect helmet. Pseudocyphellae elliptic, marginal, having granular soredia. Cortical tissue 20–22 μm thick. Chondroid tissue distinctly cracked, 40–60 μm thick. Medula dense. Pycnidia and apothecia not seen.

Chemistry (TLC, HPTLC): This species presents 8 strains which are summarized in the Table 9. Strain 1. Homosekikaic, sekikaic, 4ˊ– O –methylnorhomosekikaic, boninic, 2ˊ– O –methylsekikaic, protocetraric and fumarprotocetraric acids (Vareschi 9843–A). Strain 2. Homosekikaic, sekikaic, succinprotocetraric and protocetraric acids (Vareschi 7454). Strain 3. Salazinic acid (Lasser & Foldats 3185–B; Vareschi 3449). Strain 4. Homosekikaic, sekikaic, 4ˊ– O –demethylsekikaic and boninic acids (Cleef & van Rens de Cleef 4849–B). Strain 5. Protocetraric acid (Morales 102). Strain 6. Homosekikaic, sekikaic, ramalinolic, boninic, 2ˊ– O –methylsekikaic and protocetraric acids (Sipman & Valencia 10298, Aguirre & Sipman 5842). Strain 7. Sekikaic, ramalinolic and 2ˊ– O –methylsekikaic acids (Sipman & Reyes 34452). Strain 8. Sekikaic, ramalinolic, 4ˊ– O –demethylsekikaic and boninic acids (Boekhout 921, Cleef & Jaramillo 4190–D, Sipman & Valencia 10299).

Ecology and distribution: Ramalina subpollinaria is corticolous, or in shady places rarely saxicolous, and is associated with Teloschistes flavicans and several Parmeliaceae in rainforests and subparamo. In Colombia, R. subpollinaria grows on bushes and branches in very wet Weinmannia , Vallea stipularis and Miconia spp. forests but is also found in pastures with remnant trees. Ramalina subpollinaria is uncommon in tropical America occurring at 1000–3530 m; its global distribution includes México and South America ( Perú, Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela).

Remarks: The morphological and chemical characters of this species have been described in detail by Marcano & Morales (1994c). Ramalina subpollinaria resembles R. cochlearis , but the latter is distinguished by the helmetshaped soralia. Eight distinct chemical strains are recognized in this species with sekikaic, boninic, homosekikaic acid and ramalinolic acids as major substances and the protocetraric acid complex as accessory substances (Table 9). Kashiwadani (1987), Kashiwadani & Kalb (1993) and Gumboski (2016) reported only two chemical strains from Brazil and Peru: a sekikaic acid strain and a salazinic acid strain.

Specimens examined: COLOMBIA: Boyacá: Municipio Cucaita, c. 10 km W of Tunja along road to Villa de Leiva , 2950 m, 12 July 1986, H . Sipman & O . Reyes 34452 ( B) . Cundinamarca: Represa del Neusa, Valle del Rio Neusa , 3 km S Represa, 2750 m, 26 May 1972, A . Cleef & R . Jaramillo 4190–D ( B); between Bogotá and Fusagasuga , c 5 km SW of roadtoll, 2700 m, 31 January 1979, H . Sipman & H . Valencia 10297– B , 10298, 10299 ( B, COL, U); Valle Teusacá, 5 km SW La Calera , 2850 m, 9 july 1972, A . Cleef & M . Cleef – van Rens 4849–b ( B) . Huila: Municipio La Plata, E-side of Cordillera Central, vereda La Candelaria , finca Merenberg , Volcan Merenberg , 2600 m, 2 October 1984, J . Aguirre & H . Sipman 5842–g ( B) . Tolima: Municipio Santa Isabel, Quebrada Totarito , 3530 m, 10 February 1980, T . Boekhout 921 ( B, COL) . VENEZUELA. Aragua: Near Colonia Tovar, 2000 m, 5 November 1979, Vareschi 9843a ( VEN) . Falcón: Medanos de Coro , 2–10 m, 4 July 1954, V . Vareschi 3449 ( VEN); Near Churuguara, 22 August 1952, Lasser & Foldats 3185– B ( VEN) ; Sierra de San Luis, near La Chapa, road to Las Negritas-Uria , 1000–1400 m, 16 March 1979, López-Figueiras 19249 ( MERF); Sierra de San Luis , alrededores de Uria, vía Las Negritas-Curimagua, 1400 m, López-Figueiras 19362 ( MERF) . Mérida: Near to Timotes , 1900 m, 18 July 1960, V . Vareschi 7454– A ( VEN) ; El Valle , around Mérida, 2000–2400 m, 13– October 1981, López-Figueiras 27154, López-Figueiras et M . Lindstrom 27168 ( MERF); Monte Zerpa, Serranía La Culata , 2900 m, 4 Enero 1991, V . Marcano 5013 ( MERF); El Paramito, Hacienda Luis Davila, Chiguara, 1350 m, 2 April 121984, A . Morales AMM–102 ( MERF, B); Raiz de Agua, Parque Sierra Nevada , 2500 m, 16 May 2020, V . Marcano 20–48, 20–57 (herb. V. Marcano, VEN) . Táchira: Paramo El Portachuelo, 21 April 1992, V . Marcano 173–92 ( MER); El Paramito, Hacienda Luis Davila, Chiguara, 1350 m, 2 April 121984, A . Morales AMM–102 ( MERF, B) .