Flora of New Zealand Series

Description : Thallus subpendulous to pendulous, 4.4–12(–19) cm long, branching dichotomous, with long spaces between dichotomies, entangled, corticolous. Branches 0.5–3.0 mm wide, flattened at base, terete apically. Surface pale-green or green-yellow, matt. Pseudocyphellae present, linear, inconspicuous. Soralia marginal and laminal, round to ellipsoidal. Apothecia not seen.

Chemistry : Usnic, sekikaic, 4'- O -demethylsekikaic, 4'- O -methylnorsekikaic acids and ramalinolic acid (tr.).

K: (Raoul I.). On bark of Metrosideros kermadecensis, Corynocarpus laevigata and Rhopalostylis baueri var. cheesemanii. Known also from Australia (Queensland), Sri Lanka, Indonesia, New Hebrides, Fiji, the Cook Is, Tahiti and Niue (Stevens 1987: 200; Blanchon et al. 1996b; Elix & McCarthy 1998; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).

Palaeotropical

Illustrations : Stevens (1987: 196, pl. 11, fig. 4); Blanchon et al. (1996a: 85, fig. 9E).

Ramalina luciae is characterised by: the corticolous habit; dichotomously branched thalli with long spaces between dichotomies; and sekikaic acid in the medulla.