Vermilacinia, a genus of lichenized fungi in the family Ramalinaceae, is a yellow-green fruticose type of lichen with about 30 species that grow on rocks, trees, and soil within the fog zone along the Pacific Coast of North America and South America. The genus name refers to the thallus being divided into narrow worm-like (vermis) branches (lacinia);the latter part of the name (lacinia) generally applied in descriptions and taxonomic keys such as exemplified in a key to Sonoran Desert species of Ramalina.
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 ceruchis is a fruticose lichen found on sand and rock in coastal fog areas of Peru and Chile.
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 polymorpha is a fruticose lichen infrequently found on Santa Catalina Island in the Channel Islands of California and along the mainland coast in Ventura and Orange counties. It has also been indicated to occur south into northwestern Baja California without reference to specimens to support its range extension, and shown to occur on the Vizcaíno Peninsula in central Baja California on a distribution map in a lichen flora, without reference to specimen data; however, specimen data from other sources indicate it does occur as far south as Punta Santa Rosalillita on the main peninsula of Baja California, and also reported from Guadalupe Island.
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 pumila is a whitish-green fruticose lichen that occurs in fog areas along the Pacific Coast and offshore islands of North America. The species epithet pumila refers to the dwarf form of the thallus, in contrast to V. combeoides.
Vermilacinia rigida is a dark green, rare fruticose lichen that occurs in fog areas along the Pacific Coast of Baja California, known only from two locations about 100 km north of Guerrero Negro. The epithet, rigida, is in regard to its stiff thallus branches.
Vermilacinia robusta is an olive green fruticose lichen that occurs on rocks near ocean mist along the foggy Pacific Coast of southern California to northern Baja California and offshore islands. The epithet, robusta, was probably adopted in recognizing a more robust form of V. comboides, originally described as a variety of Ramalina combeoides by R. Heber Howe, Jr. in 1913.
Vermilacinia cephalota is a fruticose lichen usually found on trees, shrubs and wooden fences in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America from southeastern Alaska to the Vizcaíno Peninsula of Baja California.
Vermilacinia cerebra is a fruticose lichen that grows on trees and shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America from the Channel Islands and mainland California near Los Angeles to southern Baja California, also occurring in South America in the Antofagasta Province of northern Chile. The epithet is in reference to the apical swollen lobes that resemble the cerebrum of the brain.
Vermilacinia corrugata is a fruticose lichen that grows on trees and shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America from the Channel Islands and San Diego in California to southern Baja California. The epithet is in reference to corrugated cortex of the species.
Vermilacinia flaccescens is a fruticose lichen that grows on cacti and shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of South America, Peru, Chile and in the Juan Fernandez Islands The epithet is in reference to the flaccid thallus but some specimens have been interpreted to have rigid branches.
Vermilacinia howei is a fruticose lichen that grows on trees and shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America in the coastal scrub region of the Channel Islands of California, and around Bahía de San Quintín, Baja California and further south in the Vizcaíno Desert. The epithet is in honor of Reginald Heber Howe, Jr. for his contributions to lichenology, especially acknowledged for providing images of the type (biology) specimens in his revision of the genus Ramalina.
Vermilacinia leonis is a fruticose lichen usually found on branches of shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America and South America; in North America it is found on the southern half of the main peninsula of Baja California north to the southern coast of the Vizcaíno Peninsula. In South America, it occurs on bushes and rocks in Chile; reported from Colchaqua (Valley) and Santiago The epithet is in regard to absence of the black transverse bands often seen in other species such as V. leopardina, V. tigrina and V. zebrina.
Vermilacinia leopardina is a fruticose lichen usually that grows abundantly on the branches of shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America, in the Channel Islands and on the mainland of California from Santa Barbara County south to the Vizcaíno Peninsula of Baja California. The species is also reported to occur in Chile, based on a single specimen mounted on a large index card off to one corner with the type (biology) of Usnea tumidula in the center and bottom ; it is possible that the specimen of V. leopardina was from North America and placed on the card for the purpose of making a comparison to the type for Usnea tumidula, which was annotated Ramalina ceruchis var. gracilior Muell.Arg., a name of uncertain status. The epithet, leopardina, is in reference to the black transverse bands and irregularly shaped black spots commonly seen on the thallus branches that obviously imply a similarity to the leopard animal, while also making comparative distinctions to other black banded species: V. tigrina and V. zebrina, obviously to a tiger and zebra, and to V. leonis, obviously a lion, which has no black stripes.
Vermilacinia nylanderi is a fruticose lichen that grows on branches of shrubs in the fog regions along the Pacific Coast of North America in the Channel Islands and in Baja California from near El Rosario south to the Vizcaíno Peninsula The epithet honors William Nylander who published a monograph on the related genus Ramalina in 1870.
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 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. The epithet, palmeri is in honor of an Edward Palmer who collected the species in the vicinity of San Diego and on Isla Coronado.
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.
