Cladonia subradiata (Vain.) Sandst. (1922: 230)

Yánez-Ayabaca, A., Ahti, T. & Bungartz, F., 2013, The Family Cladoniaceae (Lecanorales) in the Galapagos Islands, Phytotaxa 129 (1), pp. 1-33 : 27

Cladonia subradiata (Vain.) Sandst. (1922: 230)

( Fig. 6e )

Primary thallus persistent or subpersistent, of thin, laciniate squamules, esorediate or with scarce granules on the lower side, epruinose; podetia common, whitish gray or grayish green to brownish, elongate, slender, 1–2 cm tall, simple to sparsely branched; tips blunt to scyphose in mature stalks; scyphi very narrow, essentially of the same diameter as the podetium; surface mostly ecorticate or basally barely corticate, typically very densely covered with isidioid microsquamules and sorediate-granulose, sometimes with few macrosquamules at the base of the podetium; pycnidia with hyaline jelly; apothecia with brown jelly.

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

Distribution and ecology: Known from Isabela, San Cristóbal, Pinzon and Santa Cruz Island; possibly the most common species with long, slender podetia; in the humid highlands often abundant, rarely also in the upper transition zone; often epiphytic on trunk and large branches of native and introduced trees, rarely on soil and then often near the bases of trees.

Notes: Cladonia subradiata , when well developed, is best recognized by its terete, slender virtually entirely ecorticate podetia that are typically densely covered with isidioid microsquamules and granulose soredia. Specimens could then be confused with C. granulosa , C. aff. ramulosa , C. polyschypa or C. pulverulenta (see C. pulverulenta ), but unlike all these species, podetia of C. subradiata are almost entirely devoid of any well developed cortex.

Especially old, mature well developed podetia of Cladonia corniculata can be very similar to C. subradiata , a species that is generally more branched, totally decorticate and has microsquamules that show a transition from large, basal laciniate squamules to microsquamules and finally fine granules towards the tip.

Selected specimens examined: ECUADOR. GALAPAGOS: Isabela Island, Volcán Sierra Negra, South side of Sierra Negra crater, trail to Alemania , 0°50’57.5”S, 91°7’41.29”W, 1020 m, humid zone, on fern leaves, 16 Aug 2008, Herrera - Campos, M.A. 10695 ( CDS 40433) , Volcán Alcedo , outer SE-exposed slope, ca. 500 m below the crater rim, 0°27’13”S, 91°5’46”W, 1035 m, humid zone, on bark, 6 Mar 2006, Aptroot, A. 64854 ( CDS 31430) , Villamil , 150 m, 6 July 1906, Stewart, A. (336) 428 ( FH 197407) , near parking place at start of foot path to the crater, 0°49’47.5” S, 91°5’19.80” W, 939 m, humid zone, on wood, 8 Sept 2007, Bungartz, F. 6822 ( CDS 36253) . San Cristóbal Island, Cerro Partido along trail from entrance to Cerro Pelado to El Ripioso , 0°51’23”S, 89°27’37”W, 376 m, transition zone, on rock, 28 Apr 2007, Bungartz, F. 6597 ( CDS 34817) , SE-slope of Cerro San Joaquín , shortly below the summit, 0º53'52.4”S, 89º30'49.9'W, humid zone, on bark & bryophytes, 24 Aug 2008, Bungartz, F. 8579 ( CDS 41225) . Santa Cruz Island, vicinity of Academy Bay, between first barranca and Bella Vista , transition zone, on rock, 15 Feb 1964, Weber, W.A. 176 (L-40294, COLO 193500 , US) , Los Gemelos , ca. 100 m S of the craters, along the road, 0°37’38.89”S, 90°23’12.4”W, 618 m, humid zone, on bark, 16 June 2010, Yánez-Ayabaca, A. 1488 ( CDS 44918) , along trail from Media Luna to El Puntudo , 0°39’9.80”S, 90°18’59.29”W, 674 m, humid zone, on bark, 10 Aug 2008, Bungartz, F. 8143 ( CDS 40789) , vicinity of Academy Bay, La Copa (= Media Luna ), 500 m, humid zone, 31 Jan 1964, Itow, S. 6 ( COLO 192183 ) . Pinzón Island, along the trail going up from Playa Escondida , SW-slope of the top, 0º36'36”S, 90º40'11”W, dry zone, on cactus, 16 Feb 2006, Aptroot, A. 64070 ( CDS 30631) .

Figures

FIGURE 6. a general growth aspect of Cladonia aff. ramulosa (Aptroot 65546, scale 5mm); b pale yellow, elongate podetia of Cladonia scholanderi (Clerc 08-196, scale 10mm); c podetia of Cladonia aff. sphacelata (Bungartz 8349, scale 5 mm). d thick, crenate, and grayish green, esorediate squamules of Cladonia strepsilis (Bungartz 4134, scale 3 mm); e slender podetia of Cladonia subradiata (Bungartz 8162, scale 5 mm); f Cladonia subsquamosa, cone-shaped cups with marginal proliferations, podetia generally