Preliminary version 1 June 2012

Ramalina subcomplanata (Nyl.) Kashiw.

Bull. National Sci. Museum, Tokyo, Ser. B, 12, 3: 92 (1986).

Basionym: Ramalina fraxinea subsp. subcomplanata Nyl. (**subcomplanata Nyl.), Bull. Soc. Linn. Normand, ser. 2, 4: 134 (1870).

Synonym: Index Fungorum

Type: India orientalis, in montibus Nilgherrensibus, Perrottet s.n. et d. (H-NYL 37393 - lecotype in H) [TLC: homosekikaic acid, sekikaic acid, 4'-0-methylnorhomosekikaic acid, 4'-0-demethylsekikaic acid (trace), 4'-0-methylnorsekikaic acid (trace), salazinic acid, usnic acid].

 

Thallus: fruticose, 3 - 5 - 10 cm long, dichotomously or irregularly branched, growing from a narrow holdfast. Branches greenish grey or stramineous in the herbarium, solid, 1 - 3 - 5 mm wide, dirsiventral, surface angular or flat, rarely canaliculated, tips of lobes dorsiventral or rarely more or less cylindrical. Soredia or isidia absent. Thallus 150 - 200 µm thick, cortex 15 - 20 µm thick, chondroid tissue uneven in thickness, distinctly splitting into bundles of hyphae, 20 - 70 µm thick, medullary hyphae thin, up to 3 - 5 µm thick in diameter. Pseudocyphellae common, predominantly marginal or / and on ventral side, more or less convex. Apothecia subterminal or rarely lateral, 1.5 - 3 - 5 mm in diameter, often with short dorsiventral spurs, constricted at the base; thalloid exciple pseudocyphellate with concave pseudocyphellae; spores straight, broadly ellipsoid, 10 - 15 / 4 - 5 µm in size, colorless, 2-celled or often 4-celled with additional septa. Pycnidia not seen (Kashiwadani 1986: 93).

Algae: Green algae.

Chemistry:
Race I: Homosekikaic acid, sekikaic acid, 4'-0-methylnorhomosekikaic acid, 4'-0-demethylhomosekikaic acid (+), 4'-0-methylnorsekikaic acid (+), salazinic acid (+), usnic acid, atranorin (+) (Kashiwadani 1986: 93).
Race II: Divaricatic acid, stenosporic acid (+), usnic acid (Kashiwadani 1986: 93).
Race III: Salazinic acid (+), usnic acid (Kashiwadani 1986: 93).

Ecology: Corticolous on twigs or bark of deciduous broad-leaved trees, especially on Fagus, Quercus, and Acer (Kashiwadani 1986: 93).

Molecular data: Genbank

Distribution: Saghalien, Japan, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan, India. Database

Note: