Ramalina lusitanica H. Magn., Bot. Notiser 109: 149 (1956)

Spjut, Richard, Simon, Antoine, Guissard, Martin, Magain, Nicolas & Serusiaux, Emmanuel, 2020, The fruticose genera in the Ramalinaceae (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes): their diversity and evolutionary history, MycoKeys 73, pp. 1-68 : 1

Ramalina lusitanica H. Magn., Bot. Notiser 109: 149 (1956) Fig. 12B-D

Type.

Portugal - Estramadura, Serra da Arrabida, between Setubal and Torre de Outao; 01.05.1931; G. Degelius leg.; on trees (UPS L-78721! - holotype).

Description.

Thallus corticolous, usually on branchlets, erect or rarely partly pendulous, up to 4-5 cm in diam., with a fan-shaped appearance (with terminal apothecia) or a small-cushion one; lobes divided dichotomously or trichotomously, rather stiff, flat or slightly concave, up to 3-4 mm large just before the first division; upper surface slightly grooved or channelled, often longitudinally ridged; lower surface undulating, distinctly scrobiculate on well-developed lobes. Apothecia usually present and abundant, terminal or lateral on young lobes, up to 4-5 mm in diam., usually 2-3 mm, disc concave, with no spur or with the lobe margin that carry the apothecium developing into a ligulate to triangular spur. Ascospores straight or slightly concave, 10-14 × 3-5 µm. Pycnidia not found.

Chemistry.

Divaricatic and usnic acid, unknown fatty acid.

Distribution and ecology.

Corticolous on branchlets in forest or more open areas at low elevation in the western Mediterranean region, so far confirmed on DNA-basis from the islands of Corsica (France) and Sardinia (Italy); probably more widespread.

Remarks.

The type collection of Ramalina lusitanica has many small and brittle fragments, with an upper surface with verruciform ridges, reticulate lower surface and several apothecia. Its author considered it was close to " Ramalina evernioides " that represents the taxon now named R. lacera ; he added that it "cannot be considered a variety of that species on account of absolute absence of sorediate parts and of distinct reticulation". We were able to produce DNA sequences out of material collected in Italy/Sardinia and France/Corsica and therefore to stabilize this epithet erratically used, because of confusion with R. canariensis and R. lacera . Typical specimens are easily recognized (when young) by their fan-shaped, rather rigid lobes, some being slightly concave, usually longitudinally striate, without fenestrations, usually with abundant and terminal apothecia and production of divaricatic acid.

Ramalina lusitanica is resolved as a distinct species in a clade together with R. huei and all accessions of R. requienii from Macaronesia, here assigned to the newly described R. krogiae . However, R. huei (Fig. 4D ) develops pendulous thalli, usually exuberant (5-20 cm long) and with convoluted lobes, lateral apothecia and pseudocyphellae; when these are lateral, they induce separation of cortex layers, thus exposing the medulla; such features are not encountered in R. lusitanica . Ramalina huei thrives in the Canary Islands, the Cabo Verde archipelago and southern Portugal ( Krog and Østhagen 1980; Aptroot and Schumm 2008). Interestingly, R. lusitanica is not closely related to the mainly epiphytic R. canariensis and the saxicolous R. requienii , both species producing divaricatic acid and occurring abundantly in the Mediterranean region.

Without identification of its secondary metabolite (divaricatic acid), the general appearance of this species brings it close to forms of R. fastigiata (producing evernic acid) or R. panizzei and R. elegans (both producing acids in the sekikaic group). Further information about these species can be found in Arroyo and Seriñá (1995) and Groner and LaGreca (1997).

We considered Ramalina latzelii Zahlbr., a species producing divaricatic acid and abundant apothecia, as a putative synonym. This epithet was reduced into synonymy with R. canariensis by Poelt (1969) and examination of the type material (W) confirms that it is, indeed, a fertile rather than sorediate form of that species; divaricatic acid is detected by TLC.

Additional specimens examined.

France - Corsica, Terzanili; 41°25.21'N, 09°12.37'E; alt. 60 m; 10.2010; M. Guissard & E. Sérusiaux; olive orchard (LG DNA 1702); [DNA: MN811471 (LSU), MN811275 (ITS), MN757073 (RPB1), MN757273 (RPB2)] Italy - Sardinia, E of Sanat Teresa, La Licciola; 41°13.33'N, 09°15.32'E; alt. 70 m; 10.2010; M. Guissard & E. Sérusiaux leg; on twigs in disused olive plantation; (LG DNA 1525); DNA: MN811462 (LSU), MN811266 (ITS), MN757064 (RPB1), MN757269 (RPB2)] Morocco - Oued "Rotbar, sur racines accidentellement découvertes de Chamerops humilis ", 01.06.1937, leg. J. Gattefosse leg. (BC). - Morocco, “forêt de Boulhaut à Aîn Sferdjla, sur Rhus pentaphylla ", 20.02.1939, J. Gattefosse leg. (BC). TLC for both collections from Morocco by Amami N. , Arroyo & Seriñá, annotation of May 2002.

Type collection of Ramalina latzelii Zahlbr., Oesterr. Botan. Zeitschrift 60: 18 (1910): Croatia - "Dalmatien, Meleda, an Pinus halep . auf der Grabova", ca. 200 m, 18.02.1908, leg. Dr. A. Latzel n° 22" (W! - holotype).

Figures

Figure 4. Several species of Ramalina A R. hoehneliana, hanging down the branches of a large Strombosia scheffleri in Gishwati forest (Rwanda) B R. sinensis (Armenia) C R. azorica (Azores, Pico) D R. huei (Canary Is., Tenerife) E R. nodosa (Canary Is., Tenerife). Photographs by E. Serusiaux.

Figure 12. Species in Ramalina A R. crispans (holotype: left-hand specimen; other specimen from Morocco: right-hand) B R. lusitanica (Morocco, leg. J. Gattefosse, BC) C, D R. lusitanica (Italy / Sardinia, accession LG DNA 1525). Scale: 1 mm (C). Photographs by E. Serusiaux.