Cladonia cartilaginea Müll. Arg. (1880: 260)

Yánez-Ayabaca, A., Ahti, T. & Bungartz, F., 2013, The Family Cladoniaceae (Lecanorales) in the Galapagos Islands, Phytotaxa 129 (1), pp. 1-33 : 8-9

Cladonia cartilaginea Müll. Arg. (1880: 260)

( Fig. 2c )

Primary thallus evanescent or subpersistent, of laciniate squamules, esorediate, epruinose; podetia common, whitish gray, elongate, 0.5 – 1.5 (–2) cm tall, unbranched to slightly branched; axils closed; tips blunt, ascyphose; surface completely ecorticate; moderately covered with granules, ecorticate soredia and scarce microsquamules; macrosquamules confined to the base of the podetia; pycnidia with hyaline jelly; apothecia not seen.

Spot tests and chemistry: P+ orange red, K−, C−, KC−, UV−; fumarprotocetraric acid.

Distribution and ecology: A new record for Galapagos; currently known only from Santa Cruz Island. Previously reported from high mountains of Prov. Pichincha in Ecuador ( Ahti 2000). In Galapagos apparently restricted to the humid zone, where the species has been found on a variety of subtrates: among bryophytes on the ground, as an epiphyte on native trees like Scalesia pedunculata or introduced trees like Cinchona pubescens , and even in the crevices of the windows of an old abandonned car.

Notes: The species is morphologically and chemically extremely similar to C. subradiata , but the podetia of C. subradiata are characterized by a surface densely covered of isidioid microsquamules and granulose soredia. Podetia of C. cartilaginea , in contrast, are overall only sparsely covered by granules interspersed occasionally by few microsquamules. Cladonia corniculata is also quite similar it shares the ecorticate podetia and same propagules, but unlike C. cartilaginea it is typically more abundantly branched, esorediate and shows a gradual transition from large, laciniate basal squamules to crowded, finely dissected microsquamules along the podetium that eventually become granulose towards the tip.

Selected specimens examined: ECUADOR. GALAPAGOS: Santa Cruz Island, tras del Puntudo, ex finca de Don Benito, 0°38’23.18”S, 90°19’57.24”W, 732 m, sobre corteza, 28 Dec 2006, Nugra, F. 240 ( CDS 33156), vicinity of Academy Bay , La Copa (= Media Luna), 15 Feb 1964, Weber, W.A. 426 ( COLO 193443 ) .

Figures

FIGURE 2. a–b Cladonia bungartzii (holotype, Bungartz 5744); a general thallus aspect (scale 2 mm); b close-up of the podetia (scale 1 mm); c general thallus aspect of Cladonia cartilaginea (Nugra 240, scale 5 mm); d general thallus aspect of Cladonia ceratophylla (Bungartz 5604, scale 5 mm); e–f cone-shaped, granulose-sorediate podetia of Cladonia chlorophaea; e (Bungartz 8223, scale 5 mm); f (Bungartz 6614, scale 5 mm).