Cladonia subsquamosa Kremp

Yánez-Ayabaca, A., Ahti, T. & Bungartz, F., 2013, The Family Cladoniaceae (Lecanorales) in the Galapagos Islands, Phytotaxa 129 (1), pp. 1-33 : 28

Cladonia subsquamosa Kremp in Warming (1874 [1873]: 336)

( Fig. 6f )

Primary thallus subpersistent, laciniate squamules, esorediate, epruinose; podetia common, grayish green, sometimes brown with age, 0.8–2.5 (–3) cm tall, always scyphose and shaped like a cone; cups, when well developed, abundantly and repeatedly proliferating (forming 1-2 tiers); surface slightly corticate at the base, otherwise decorticated, basally typically ±finely squamulose, becoming microsquamulose, densely granulose or farinose sorediate; pycnidia with hyaline jelly; apothecia with brown jelly.

Spot tests and chemistry: P+ red, K−, C−, KC−, UV−; fumarprotocetraric acid.

Distribution and ecology: Currently know from Floreana, Isabela, Pinzón, San Cristóbal, and Santa Cruz Island. The most common of the Galapagos “pixie cup” lichens; most common and often abundant in the humid zone, less common in the transition and rarely in the dry zone; on a wide variety of substrates (rock, soil, among plant debris and bryophytes, as epiphyte on trunks, branches, twigs and even fern fronds).

Notes: The cone-shaped cups of C. subsquamosa much resemble C. chlorophaea but unlike this species, cups of C. subsquamosa typically proliferate and the podetia are covered in a variety of propagules (true soredia, granules, microsquamules, even squamules). In C. chlorophaea propagules are all farinose ecorticate soredia of relatively uniform size and the cups do typically not proliferate.

Cladonia pyxidata and C. grayi are also similar, but the first species has broader scyphi that do generally not proliferate and coarser, corticate granules, and the latter has a verruculose-granular surface and instead of fumarprotocetraric acid (P+ red, UV−) contains grayanic acid (P−, UV+ bluish white). For a more detailed discussion refer to the notes of C. pyxidata .

Selected specimens examined: ECUADOR. GALAPAGOS: Isabela Island, Volcán Alcedo, on the crater rim near the hut, 0°26’33”S, 91°5’31”W, 1100 m, humid zone, on bark, 3 July 2006, Aptroot, A. 65236 ( CDS 31822) , on soil, 7 Mar 2006, Aptroot, A. 65240 ( CDS 31826) Volcán Darwin, southwestern slope, above Tagus Cove , 0°13’28.19”S, 91°19’17.9”W, 872 m, transition zone, on plant debris, 15 Nov 2007, Bungartz, F. 7760 ( CDS 38266) . Volcán Sierra Negra, mirador El Mango, SE side of island, 0°53’1.39”S, 91°0’48.4”W, 161 m, transition zone, on bryophytes, 15 Aug 2008, Herrera - Campos, M.A. 10582 ( CDS 40319) . Floreana Island, Asilo de la Paz, Cerro Wittmer , trail in between cliffs, 1°18’50”S, 90°27’13.8”W, humid zone, on detritus, 3 Jan 2010, Hillmann, G. GAL-91, 93, 11 ( CDS 44888, 44860 , 44871 ) . Pinzón Island, along the trail going up from Playa Escondida , N- to W-facing cliff above a crater, 0°36’29”S, 90°40’14”W, 318 m, transition zone, dry zone, on rock, 16 Feb 2006, Bungartz, F. 3661 ( CDS 27479) , lava, on rock, 16 Feb 2006, Aptroot, A. 64004 ( CDS no. 30565) . San Cristóbal Island, Wreck Bay , 610 m, humid zone, on soil, 6 July 1905, Stewart 429 (337) ( CAS-DS 640539 ) , 1906, Stewart 7340 ( FH) , NE-slope of Cerro San Joaquín , shortly below the summit, 0°53’50.79”S, 89°30’49.7”W, 693 m, humid zone, on soil, 24 Aug 2008, Bungartz, F. 8582 ( CDS 41228) , Cerro Colorado , enclosure for Calandrinia galapagosa near the viewpoint on the top, 0°54’58”S, 89°26’5”W, 130 m, transition zone, on rock, 29 Apr 2007, Bungartz, F. 6736 ( CDS 34980) , 15 May 2006, Jaramillo, P. 2876 C ( CDS 38791) . Santa Cruz Island, along trail from Media Luna to El Puntudo, 0°39’37.79”S, 90°20’0.9”W, 682 m, humid zone, on soil, 28 Dec 2005, Bungartz, F. 3271 ( CDS 26910) , near Puntudo , 0°38’41”S, 90°20’13”W, 750 m, humid zone, on wood, 27 May 2005, Aptroot, A. 63164 ( CDS 29895) , between Academy Bay and Bella Vista , 150 m, humid zone, 24 Jan 1964, Weber, W.A. 139 ( COLO 192784 ) , vicinity of Academy Bay , 120 m, transition zone, on wood, 15 Feb 1964, Itow, S. 29 ( COLO 192154 ) , between Academy Bay and Bellavista , 150 m, on rock, 24 Jan 1964, Weber, W.A. ( FH 197403) .

Figures

FIGURE 6. a general growth aspect of Cladonia aff. ramulosa (Aptroot 65546, scale 5mm); b pale yellow, elongate podetia of Cladonia scholanderi (Clerc 08-196, scale 10mm); c podetia of Cladonia aff. sphacelata (Bungartz 8349, scale 5 mm). d thick, crenate, and grayish green, esorediate squamules of Cladonia strepsilis (Bungartz 4134, scale 3 mm); e slender podetia of Cladonia subradiata (Bungartz 8162, scale 5 mm); f Cladonia subsquamosa, cone-shaped cups with marginal proliferations, podetia generally