Ramalina puiggarii Müller Argoviensis

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 : 53-54

4. Ramalina puiggarii Müller Argoviensis

Flora, Jena 64: 83 (1881) . Type :― BRAZIL. Crescit prope Apiali, March 1880, J.–J. Puiggari (holotype G).

Thallus corticolous, dichotomously branched, up to 7 cm long, growing from a narrow holdfast. Branches solid, canaliculate,flat,smooth, 0.4–1.7mm wide.Pseudocyphellae marginal,linear.Soralia absent.Pseudocyphellae marginal, continuous, linear. Cortex indistinct. Chondroid tissue not cracked, continuous. Pycnidia not seen. Apothecia rounded, submarginal, up to 1.8 mm diameter, geniculate branches, discs concave to mainly flat. Ascospores multiseptate, longfusiform, 16–24 x 3–5 µm.

Chemistry (TLC, HPTLC): Traces of usnic acid only (Vareschi 4389) or nil (Vareschi 2783, 5451, 5932, 6182).

Ecology and distribution: This species grows on shrubs and orange trees in primary and secondary forests and subparamo at 1320–3400 m. It is known from South America (the Galápagos Islands, Brazil and Venezuela).

Remarks: Previously R. puiggarii was known only from Brazil ( Kashiwadani & Kalb 1993, Gumboski 2016) and the Galápagos Islands ( Aptroot & Bungartz 2007). Ramalina cumanensis closely resembles R. puiggarii , but has shorter, uniseptate, ellipsoid spores (8–12 x 4–5 µm). Ramalina camptospora could also be confused with R. puiggarii , but the former species has marginal soralia with isidiform structures, and curved or sigmoid spores (12–14 x 4–4.5 µm). All three species lack medullary substances.

Specimens examined: VENEZUELA: Mérida. Laguna Coromoto , 3400 m, 13 January 1957, Vareschi 5932 ( VEN) . Miranda: Los Teques-Los Guayabitos road, 28 February 1953, Vareschi 2783 ( VEN) ; Los Guayabitos , 1320 m, 6 Noviembre 1955, Vareschi 4389 ( VEN) ; Los Guayabitos , 1 January 1957, Vareschi 6182 ( VEN) . Táchira: Paramo del Batallón , 3100–3350 m, 3 October 1956, Vareschi 5451 ( VEN) .