Ramalina
Ramalina Ach., 1809
| Common name | Ramalinas; Cartilage Lichens |
|---|---|
| Field Characters | Fruticose, hair-like, shrub-like or almost foliose chlorolichens. Usnic yellow. Branches typically flattened, occasionally rounded, typically stiff. Branch interior may be solid and chalky or with a semi-hollow, honeycomb like interior. Cortex often tough and shiny, with a ‘combed’ appearance due to the prosoplectenchymatous tissue. Species are either commonly fertile, or sorediate and rarely fertile. Soredia may be farinose to grainy, soralia may be marginal, laminal or terminal, in hoods, lacerated lobe tips, or labriform. Apothecia when present lecanorine, with pale yellow to pink disk |
| Similar species & genera |
Alectoria: resembles R. thrausta, but the cortex is dull with raised, linear pseudocyphellae and linear branch tips. Evernia mesomorpha: dull, angular, soredia and/or isidia scattered over thallus, medulla cottony and thallus soft (like a stuffed animal) |
| Ecology | Mostly epiphytic, with some species common across most forested regions including urban parks in Alberta (Haughland et al. 2022). Some species largely saxicolous, and then rare in Alberta. Other species are rare and restricted to certain natural regions or climatic zones. |
| Chemistry | Cortex PD-, K-, KC+ oily yellow (usnic acid), medulla and soralia variable. |
| Molecular support |
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| Links |
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- Ramalina sinensis, Prince Alberta National Park, SK
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- Ramalina obtusata, Cypress Hills Provincial Park, AB
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- Ramalina dilacerata, Jackman Flats Natural Area, BC
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- Ramalina thrausta, near Wells Gray Provincial Park, BC
Species, varieties and morphotypes recorded, or with high potential to be found in Alberta: 15
Some of these species or varieties have not been formally described; other should be confirmed with molecular data.
- R. americana (ABMI?)
- R. calicaris (S1 ACIMS)
- R. complanata (Ontario, Wisconsin, S USA [NA])
- R. dilacerata (common, ABMI, ACIMS)
- R. intermedia (ABMI, ACIMS)
- R. labiosorediata (Ontario, Eastern USA)
- R. “neopacifica” ined. (BC, AB?) Not published yet
- R. obtusata (common, ABMI, ACIMS)
- R. pollinaria (common, ABMI, ACIMS)
- R. roesleri (ACIMS)
- R. sinensis (common, ABMI, ACIMS)
- R. sinensis var. “filigrana” ined. Syn. Ramalina “filigrana” Wylie (not published yet, rare in mountains and foothills)
- R. sinensis morphotype unifolia Syn. Ramalina unifolia (not published yet, S. LaGreca, pers. comm.)
- R. subleptocarpha Rundel & Bowler (Coastal NA, riparian N USA [NA])
- R. thrausta (ABMI, ACIMS)
Click here for pdf key to Ramalina in Alberta v.2025
RENR Students: Know the genus, and the species Ramalina dilacerata & R. pollinaria– be able to key these species out or recognize (also covered in Brodo et al. 2001 and Goward 1999).
Key Resources
Gasparyan, A., H.J.M. Sipman & R. Lücking. 2017. Ramalina europaea and R. labiosorediata, two new species of the R. pollinaria group (Ascomycota: Ramalinaceae), and new typifications for Lichen pollinarius and L. squarrosus. The Lichenologist 49: 301-319.
Hampton-Miller, 2012. Disintangling fistulose Ramalina (Ramalinaceae, lichenized Ascomycota): A new species from northwest North America. Honors Thesis, University of Alaska, Fairbanks.
LaGreca, S. 1999. A phylogenetic evaluation of the Ramalina americana chemotype complex (lichenized Ascomycota, Ramalinaceae) based on rDNA ITS sequence data. The Bryologist 102: 602-618.
LaGreca, S., D.L. Haughland & T. Goward. In preparation. Ramalina sinensis var. filigrana, a remarkable new variety of lichen from western Canada.
Thomson, J.W. 1990. Ramalina unifolia sp. nov. from North America. Bryologist 93: 341-342.
Timsina, B.A., E. Stocker-Worgotter & M. Piercey-Normore. 2012. Monophyly of some North American species of Ramalina and inferred polyketide synthase gene function. Botany 90: 1295-1307.
Wylie, M.E. 1977. The lichen genus Ramalina (Ramalinaceae) in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Ph.D. thesis, University of Calgary. 686 pp.
