in Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Botany Series 16 (2): 161 - 163.
(Swinscow & Krog 1988: 282) Synonym: Index Fungorum
Type: Kenya, Central Province, Nyeri District, Krog & Swinscow 2K36/137 (O! - holotype; BM! - isotype; divaricatic acid and usnic acid).
Thallus: Saxicolous, pale green to stramineous, small, caespitose, usually very compact and button-like, often minute; up to 1.0 cm high; branching dense and intricate, distally producing branchlets; branch width 0.3 - 1.0 mm, branches flat to subterete, variably inflated, some branches with slit-like perforations; surface shiny to matt, smooth; holdfast diffuse; soralia form from disintegration of the lower cortex occurring laminally and at the apices. Apothecia uncommon, but numerous on some thalU, lateral or terminal, disc 0.5 - 3.0 mm diam., concave, plane or convex; margin entire or incised at maturity; spores ellipsoid, straight or rarely curved, 8 - 13 x 4 - 5 µm.
Chemistry: Usnic acid and divaricatic acid (often in trace amounts).
Ecology: Its occurrence on several types of rock (viz. granite, sandstone, conglomerate, trachyte, and dolerite) shows it is not substrate specific. In some localities R. fimbriata occupies sheltered overhangs and ledges. Other habitats where this species occurs are exposed rock surfaces. Krog & Swinscow (1974) record R. fimbriata growing on rock in the alpine zone of East Africa at altitudes of 3200 - 4100 m.
Molecular data: Genbank
Distribution: Database
Note: