Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen pollinarius Westr., K. Sv. Vetensk.-Akad. Handl. 16: 56 (1795).

Description : Thallus saxicolous, pale whitish green when moist, ivory-white when dry, caespitose, in small tufts 10–15 mm tall, each tuft formed by a cluster of erect branches growing from the base, not forming swards; branching mainly without lateral branches at first, then dichotomous to irregular, becoming more branched towards apices. Branches solid, 0.5–1.0 mm diam., flattened (not compressed) to subterete towards tips, branches very fragile. Surface smooth, matt to glossy, in places with shallow depressions, without pseudocyphellae, but fractured branches and soralia exposing medulla; lower surface splitting or irregularly cracking, disintegrating to release soredia, occurring mainly near tips of main and short lateral branches. Soralia spreading over lamina reaching margins in places; branch tips appearing flattened where soredia are exposed, but not hooded. Soredia large, granular, 50–90 μm diam. Apothecia and pycnidia not seen.

Chemistry : Thallus K−, C−, KC−, Pd−, UV ±white; containing evernic, obtusatic and usnic acids.

S: Nelson (Owen Ra.), Otago (Trotter's Gorge). On marble and calcareous sandstone, rather rare (Zahlbruckner 1941: 363 – as R. pollinaria var. humilis – see also Blanchon & Bannister 2004). Known also from Great Britain, Europe, Scandinavia, North America, the Kuril Is, and East Africa (Krog & Swinscow 1976; Krog & James 1977; Purvis et al. 1992; Nimis 1993; Santesson 1993; Esslinger & Egan 1995; McCune & Gieser 1997; Scholz 2000; Brodo et al. 2001; Llimona & Hladun 2001; Coppins 2002b; Joneson et al. 2004; Kashiwadani & Nash 2004; Santesson et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 161): McCune & Geiser (1997: 260); Brodo et al. (2001: 629, fig. 765).

Ramalina pollinaria is characterised by: the saxicolous habit; the small, solid thallus, with fragile branches; it has large soredia released by the disintegration of the cortex laminally (sometimes reaching the margins but not truly marginal); it has a dense medulla which contains both evernic and obtusatic acids. Ramalina fimbriata can be superficially similar, but is inflated (most obvious basally), with occasional perforations and an arachnoid medulla. Ramalina canariensis is mainly corticolous, the margins split to release smaller soredia, and the medulla is less dense. Ramalina unilateralis is also mainly corticolous, has a thicker chondroid layer, and is not as fragile. It has smaller soredia and does not have a dense medulla. All three species have divaricatic acid.