The
World Botanical Associates Web Page
Prepared by Richard W. Spjut
April 2003, Oct 2005, Sep 2012
Additions: May 2017, Nov 2021, updated Aug 2022
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Niebla and Vermilacinia (Ramalinaceae) from California and Baja
California.
Evolutionary history of coastal species
of fog lichen genera
Spjut R, Simon A, Guissard M, Magain N, Sérusiaux E.
2020. The fruticose genera in the Ramalinaceae (Ascomycota, Lecanoromycetes):
their diversity and evolutionary history. MycoKeys. 73: 1–68,
published online.
Additional Discussion: See:
Introduction to
Niebla and its
phylogeography |
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SE of Guerrero Negro, near Whale watching center, Jan
2016 |
SE of Guerrero Negro, near Whale watching center, Jan
2016 |
SE of Guerrero Negro, near Whale watching center, Jan
2016
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Morro Santo Domingo,
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Scammon's Lagoon, BCS |
Guerrero Negro, |
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Rancho San José |
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Cañón San Vicente
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Close-up of thallus and vegetation near Guerrero Negro,
type locality, Follmann 34432 (B)
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Thallus enlarged and vegetation
near Guerrero Negro, type locality, BCS.
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Niebla sp. [aff. brachyura] Baja California Sur. Vizcaíno Peninsula: Southeast of Guerrero Negro near Whale Watch; 27°46.178, 114°00.665, 6 m. Type locality for N. limicola (salazinic acid). Spjut & Sérusiaux 17132-4752. Jan 2016. Hypoprotocetraric acid + psoromic acid? Cited in MycoKeys 73: 18, Fig. 7 (2020). New chemotype for Niebla. DNA 4752. |
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Bahía
de San Quintín, BCN
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Geographic Distribution
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Illustration of TLC data showing salazinic acid among
other chemotypes |
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Niebla limicola is a species of fruticose lichen endemic to the peninsula of Baja California, occurring along shores of bays and beaches with salt scrub (Atriplex, Frankenia), and inland on alkali barren soil (devoid of higher plant vegetation), ranging from the Vizcaíno Peninsula north to Bahía de San Quintín. It seems most common on coastal mud or sand in the Southern Vizcaíno Desert, especially near Guerrero Negro, the type locality. It is recognized by the regular appearance of short bifurcate branchlets arising along dilated-flattened segments, and by having salazinic acid. Less flattened branches, often conspicuously twisted and contorted—appearing ribbon-like—are included with the species by also having short bifurcate side branchlets, in contrast to related salazinic-acid species such as Niebla arenaria that differs by the straight linear-prismatic branches more densely and intricately dichotomously divided from base to apex. Another salazinic acid species, Niebla effusa, is distinguished by dilated branches near apex bearing simple branchlets curved much like scorpioid cymose inflorescences of flowering plants. Niebla brachyura, a relatively infrequent species in the southern half region of the Vizcaíno Desert and on Isla Cedros, is sometimes similar in the bifurcate branching but easily distinguished by its lichen substance of hypoprotocetraric acid instead of having salazinic acid. From a "sampling" of eight specimens of putative N. limicola growing within several meters of each other in the vicinity of the type locality, five were DNA extracted while a sixth was analyzed only by TLC. The five DNA-extracted clustered in a phylogenetic ITS tree among other depsidone species within the depsidone clade; however, both BPP and Stacey analyses recognized two different species as clearly evident in the 6-loci phylogenetic tree (Spjut et al. 2020, Fig. 7) in which 17130-4751 and 17132-4752 are well separated, phylogenetically. Although 17130 compares closely with the type collection in morphology and chemistry of salazinic acid—and could serve as an epitype for the species in DNA phylogeny studies, the nearby 17132-4752 was found to be a new chemotype for the genus in having the combination of hypoprotocetraric acid and psoromic acid with unknowns, and also morphologically distinct by its thicker cortex. It is phylogeographically related to depsidone specimens collected approximately 430 km further north in the Chaparral Desert Transition, a disjunct pattern also seen other species complexes of Niebla. Additional References: See Niebla
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