Preliminary version 1 December 2013
Ramalina pilulifera Taylor
Bulletin of the National Science Museum, Tokyo, Series B 16 (1): 6 - 8 (1990).
Synonym: Index Fungorum
Type: Chile, Juan Fernandez Island, "in montibus excelsis Insulae Juan Fernandez", April 1830, C. G. Bertero 1642 in Herb. Hooker (BM - holotype; FH, US - isotypes).
Thallus: caespitose, tufty, sparingly branched near the base, simple or little branched towards the apices, growing from a common holdfast, 5 7 cm high. Branches solid, rigid, 0.5 3 (- 5) mm wide; flat to more or less canaliculate, lacking isidia or soredia. Pseudocyphellae orbicular to ellipsoid, more or less engraved. Thallus 150 500 µm thick; cortex indistinct; chondroid tissue continuous, not cracked; medulla irregular in thickness, often dissected by the anastomosing chondroid tissue. Apothecia common, marginal or laminal, constricted at base; margine entire in young stages, flared and indistinct in aged ones; disc flat to convex; thalloid exciple entire or rarely pseudocyphellate; hymenium 56 60 µm high; hypothecium 40 50 µm thick; proper exciple 80 100 µm thick. Ascospores 2-celled, broad ellipsoid, 8 12 (- 14) x 3.5 4 (- 5) µm.
Photobiont: Green alga.
Chemistry: Usnic acid; unidentified substance.
Ecology: Saxicolous.
Molecular data: Genbank
Distribution: Endemic on the Juan Fernandez Islands. Database
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