Niebla palmeri

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Niebla palmeri
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Parmeliaceae
Genus: Niebla
Species:
N. palmeri
Binomial name
Niebla palmeri
Spjut (1996)

Niebla palmeri is a fruticose lichen that infrequently occurs on sandy beaches or gravelly soil along the Pacific Coast from San Diego, California to mesas just north of Punta Baja, about 15 miles southeast of El Rosario, Baja California. [1] The epithet, palmeri is in honor of an Edward Palmer who collected the species in the vicinity of San Diego and on Isla Coronado.

Contents

Distinguishing features

Niebla palmeri is distinguished by a hemispherical mat-like thallus, divided into numerous tangled irregular shaped subtubular branches, varying from nearly linear [2] throughout to a thallus with variously dilated and flattened segments, to 8 cm high and 16 cm across, and by containing sekikaic acid, with triterepenes. [1]

Taxonomic history

Niebla palmeri was described by Richard Spjut as a result of undertaking at taxonomic revision of the genus Niebla in regard to developing a lichen flora of Baja California. [1] Only five specimens of N. palmeri were reported to have been collected, all at the United States National Herbarium (Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History, Department of Botany), [3] which includes one of his collections obtained from a mesa above Punta Baja; [1] however, Phillip Rundel and Peter Bowler recognized a “sekikaic acid race” of Niebla homalea at Colina del Sudoeste, Bahía de San Quintín “limited to shrubs growing on sand dunes and to lava surfaces on lower slopes”. [4] A specimen cited by Spjut [1] was collected on sand at Bahía de San Quintín by Velva E. Rudd (3340A) in late January 1972 in regard to the Edward Palmer Project. [5]

Niebla palmeri has been included under a very broad species concept, ( Niebla homalea ); [6] one that essentially recognizes only three species in the genus Niebla as defined by a two-layered cortex, by isolated chondroid strands in the medulla, and by the lichen substances lacking the terpenes found in Vermilacinia . [7] Under the broad species concept, the morphological differences are seen as environmentally induced variation, and the chemical differences as chemo-syndrome variation [6] however, no data were presented to support this view other than reference to studies of other genera in which the species differences mentioned are not applicable. [8]

Related Research Articles

<i>Niebla homalea</i> Species of lichen

Niebla homalea is a species of fruticose lichen that grows on rocks in foggy areas along the Pacific Coast of North America, from Mendocino County, California south to Bahía de San Quintín on the main peninsula of Baja California, with an isolated occurrence further south on vertical rock faces above Punta Camachos, and other occurrences in the Channel Islands and on Guadalupe Island. The epithet homalea, given by Acharius, suggests it was in regard to the branches appearing flattened.

Vermilacinia laevigata is a fruticose lichen that occurs in the fog zone along the Pacific Coast of the California Floristic Province from Marin County, California to 15 miles south of Misión San Vicente Ferrer in Baja California

Vermilacinia procera is a fruticose lichen of local occurrences on rocks near the sea along the Pacific Coast from San Francisco California to the Channel Islands, and to Punta Escarpada in Baja California. The species is also reported to occur further south to the Vizcaíno Peninsula and on Cedros Island, but these reports are controversial in view of different interpretations of the species that include V. pumila and V. paleoderma that were not recognized at the time V. procera was described ; for example, a specimen collected on Guadalupe Island by Weber and MCoy (L-3605, COLO that was cited by Phillip Rundel and Peter Bowler in 1994 as belonging to Niebla procera, whereas in a revision of the genus by Richard Spjut in 1996, it was cited as belonging to Vermilacinia paleoderma. Both authorities generally agree to some extent on the description of the species and its geographical range within the California Floristic Province.

Vermilacinia tigrina is a fruticose lichen that grows on branches of shrubs and on earth among cactus and shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America and South America; in North America found in the Channel Islands and near San Diego, California, and in central and southern Baja California; in South America from Peru to Chile. The epithet is in reference to the irregular black spots or bands on the thallus branches.

Niebla dissecta is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the Pacific coast of California, in San Mateo County and in the Channel Islands. The epithet dissecta is in reference to the thallus repeatedly divided into branches.

Niebla flagelliforma is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of Baja California mostly in the Northern Vizcaíno Desert. The epithet, flagelliforma is in reference to the individual branches of the thallus shaped like a flagellum.

Niebla infundibula is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the Pacific Coast in the Channel Islands of California and in Baja California on Guadalupe Island, and on the main peninsula in the southern region of the Northern Vizcaíno Desert on a ridge south of Punta Negra. The epithet, infundibula, is in reference to the funnel shape of the thallus branches.

Niebla josecuervoi is a fruticose lichen that grows on rock, stony soil and sand along the Pacific Coast of northern Baja California from near Misión San Vicente Ferrer to Punta Santa Rosalilillita. The epithet, josecuervoi is in honor of a field assistant, “Jose Cuervo”.

Niebla laminaria is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the Pacific Coast of North America within the California Floristic Province, from Marin County, California south to Misión San Vicente Ferrer in Baja California, and in the Channel Islands. The epithet, laminaria is in reference to the thallus divided into blade-like branches similar to a genus of brown algae, Laminaria.

Niebla limicola is a fruticose lichen that grows on barren mud flats and on sand among salt scrub along the Pacific Coast of the Vizcaíno Desert, of Baja California from San Vicente Canyon to Scammon’s Lagoon. The epithet, limicola is in reference to the thallus growing on barren (alkali) soil.

Niebla lobulata is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of Baja California, from Bahía de San Quintín to Vizcaíno Peninsula and offshore islands, Isla San Martín, and Guadalupe Island. The epithet, lobulata is in reference to the lobed margins of the thallus branches.

Niebla pulchribarbara is a rare fruticose lichen that occurs on sandy beaches or gravelly soil along the Pacific Coast, at San Antonio del Mar and at Bahía de San Quintín, Baja California. The epithet, pulchribarbara, is in reference to the strikingly beautiful lichen mat formed by the thallus.

Niebla rugosa is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of Baja California in the Vizcaíno Desert. The epithet, rugosa is in reference to the wrinkled reticulated surface of the thallus.

Niebla siphonoloba is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of North America, in the Channel Islands, and from Bahía de San Quintín, Baja California to the Vizcaíno Peninsula. The epithet, siphonoloba is in reference to the pipe-like shape of the thallus branches.

Niebla sorediata is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of North America, in the Channel Islands of California and on Guadalupe Island of Baja California. The epithet, sorediata, is in reference to the development of soredia (soredium).

Niebla sorocarpia is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of California in the Channel Islands and in Baja California in the Northern Vizcaíno Desert. The epithet, sorocarpia, is in reference to the terminal aggregate apothecia.

Niebla suffnessii is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of North America within the Vizcaíno Desert region of Baja California. The epithet, suffnessii, is in honor of Matthew Suffness who was Chief of the Natural Products Branch in the National Cancer Institute during the late 1970s to mid 1980s, and later a coordinator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) contracts for the drug discovery groups, and who also encouraged the screening of lichens and bryophytes in the search for new anticancer drugs.

Niebla tesselata is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of in the Northern Vizcaíno Desert of Baja California. The epithet, tesselata, is in reference to the cobblestone pattern on the surface of the thallus branches.

Niebla testudinaria is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks along the foggy Pacific Coast of North America, from Marin County, California to just south of Tijuana in Baja California, in the Channel Islands in California, and Isla San Martín and Guadalupe Island in Baja California The epithet, testudinaria given by William Nylander in 1870, is probably in reference to the dilated branch with a reticulated surface, similar to a tortoise shell.

Niebla turgida is a fruticose lichen that grows on rocks in the fog zone along the Pacific Coast of Baja California in the Northern Vizcaíno Desert The epithet, turgida is in reference to the swollen branches of the thallus.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Spjut, R. W. 1996. Niebla and Vermilacinia (Ramalinaceae) from California and Baja California. Sida Bot. Misc. 14
  2. ↑ Linear: having parallel margins 10 time or more long than wide
  3. ↑ United States National Herbarium, http://botany.si.edu/colls/collections_overview.htm
  4. ↑ Rundel P., P. A. Bowler and T. W. Mulroy. 1972. A fog-induced lichen community in northwestern Baja California, with two new species of Desmazieria. The Bryologist 75: 501–508.
  5. ↑ Smithsonian, Museum of Natural History, Botany Collections, database accessed 28 Dec 2014, record retrieved for Rudd 3344 , Prunus fremontii, collected near El Rosario, 29 Jan 1972, her collection number 3340 not in database, http://botany.si.edu/colls/collections_overview.htm
  6. 1 2 Bowler, P. and J. Marsh. 2004. Niebla. ‘Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert 2’: 368–380.
  7. ↑ Spjut R. W. 1995. Vermilacinia (Ramalinaceae, Lecanorales), a new genus of lichens. In: Flechten Follmann; Contr. Lichen in honor of Gerhard Follmann; F. J. A. Daniels, M. Schulz & J. Peine, eds., Koeltz Scientific Books: Koenigstein, pp. 337-351.
  8. ↑ Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert: Book Review, Richard Spjut, web page, http://www.worldbotanical.com/lichen%20flora%20review.htm
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