The
World Botanical Associates Web Page
Prepared by Richard W. Spjut
April 2003, comments 2005, Sep 2012
Additions May 2017
Niebla and Vermilacinia (Ramalinaceae) from California and Baja
California.
Evolutionary history of coastal species
of fog lichen genera
Evolution and diversification of Niebla |
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N of Guerrero Negro, Punta Santo Domingo, N 28°14.469, W 114°05.763, 25 m, Spjut & Sérusiaux 17289. Feb 2016 |
NW of Bahia de Asuncion, near the Mesa El Elephante, N 27°20.732, W 114°25.384, 120-125 m, Spjut & Sérusiaux 17145. Jan 2016
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South of El Rosario along road to Punta Baja, on sandy, wind-swept ridgeline, 80 m. Leavitt et al. 16-1006, Dec 2016 |
Near Bahía Tortugas, Spjut 9699, isotype, May 1986 |
Vizcaíno Peninsula, rocky
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Between Campo Nuevo |
Mesa Camacho, north of Punta Canoas, Spjut & Marin 13112, Apr 1994 |
Mesa Camacho, |
Mesa Camacho, |
Mesa Camacho, Spjut & Marin 13074, Apr 1994 |
Isla Cedros,
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Geographical occurrences |
Niebla rugosa is a lichen that is endemic to the Pacific Coast Region of Baja California, infrequently occurring from the Vizcaíno Peninsula north to near Punta San Carolos, and also on Isla Cedros. It is found on boulders on Mesa Camacho, rock walls in a narrow wind-sheltered canyon on the eastern side of Isla Cedros, on pebbles near San Carlos, and on gypsum near Bahía Tortugas; the locations are generally further away from the ocean than other related species. Most specimens were collected near Punta San Carlos, however. Niebla rugosa resembles N. podetiaforma in the small tufts of subtubular branches, but differs in the branches sharply angled along margins, not rounded as in N. podetiaforma. Transverse cortical ridges that connect between the margins are remarkably parallel, like in a step ladder. As the epithet implies, Niebla rugosa has a wrinkled thallus due in part to the prominent transverse cortical ridges. In N. podetiaforma, the cortical ridges divide between margins. Another species with small tufts of mostly simple basal branches, Niebla siphonoloba, differs in the cortical ridges interconnecting between margins, which seems related to the prismatic outline of the branches, although some areas of a branch may have undivided transverse connecting ridges. Generally, N. rugosa has wide rectangular areas between cortical ridges, in contrast to circular to square areoles in N. siphonoloba. They also differ in chemistry, divaricatic acid (with triterpenes) in N. rugosa; sekikaic acid (with triterpenes) in N. siphonoloba. Another distinctive feature of N. rugosa is the cupular apothecia on saucer-like marginal lobes. The apothecia are perpendicular to the saucer lobe in contrast to slightly upward tilted and raised otherwise similar apothecia in N. contorta.
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