''Cladonia flavocrispata'' is a species of
fruticose lichen in the family
Cladoniaceae.
Found in Venezuela and described as a new species in 2013, it is closely related to ''
Cladonia hians'', but is distinguished by its unique chemical composition and
morphology.
Taxonomy
Described by the lichenologists
Teuvo Ahti
Teuvo ("Ted") Tapio Ahti (born 1934) is a Finnish botanist and lichenologist. He has had a long career at the University of Helsinki that started in 1963, and then following his retirement in 1997, at the Botanical Museum of the Finnish Museum ...
and
Harrie Sipman
Henricus (Harrie) Johannes Maria Sipman (born 1945) is a Dutch lichenologist. He specialises in tropical and subtropical lichens, and has authored or co-authored more than 250 scientific publications. He was the curator of the lichen herbarium ...
in 2013, ''Cladonia flavocrispata'' was first collected in Venezuela in 1990, within a rocky
sandstone area featuring
scrub
Scrub(s) may refer to:
* Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland
* Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff
* ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program
* Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," ...
on an exposed ridge at the . This species is characterised by its pale green, evanescent , and that are pale greenish grey, forming dense, erect cushions.
Description
The of ''Cladonia flavocrispata'' is and pale green, appearing as scattered, small in the lower part of the
podetia, measuring roughly 0.2–0.5 by 1 mm. These squamules are or slightly split into irregularly laciniae, without
soredia. Podetia can reach 5–12 cm in height, displaying indeterminate growth and a pale greenish-grey colouration. The lower parts are strongly
variegated with pale greenish grey and brown to black patches. The podetia typically form dense, erect cushions with main stems about 1.0–1.5 mm wide. The surface of the podetia is and discontinuously very thinly corticate, revealing most of the stereome with age. Chemical analysis reveals the presence of
thamnolic and
usnic acid
Usnic acid is a naturally occurring dibenzofuran derivative found in several lichen species with the formula C18H16O7. It was first isolated by German scientist W. Knop in 1844 and first synthesized between 1933-1937 by Curd and Robertson. Usnic a ...
s, occasionally accompanied by
barbatic acid
Barbatic acid is an organic compound that is made by some lichens. It is in the structural class known as depsides. It is particularly common in the genera ''Usnea'' (the beard lichens) and ''Cladonia''.
History
The compound was first isolated ...
, with colour reactions of P+ (yellow), K+ (yellow), and KC+ (yellow).
Distribution and ecology
''Cladonia flavocrispata'' is
endemic to the
Guiana Highlands
The Guianas, sometimes called by the Spanish loan-word ''Guayanas'' (''Las Guayanas''), is a region in north-eastern South America which includes the following three territories:
* French Guiana, an overseas department and region of France
* G ...
, primarily found in Venezuela. It occupies humid sandstone
tablelands, growing on
sandstone flats with open
bog
A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...
vegetation at elevations ranging from . While there are three uncertain collections from the Guianas, specifically from the sandstone plateau of the
Kaieteur Falls
Kaieteur is the world's largest single drop waterfall. Located on the Potaro River in the Kaieteur National Park, it sits in a section of the Amazon rainforest included in the Potaro-Siparuni region of Guyana. It is 226 metres (741 ft) hi ...
, these may differ slightly in morphological characteristics.
Similar species
While ''Cladonia flavocrispata'' shares similarities with ''
Cladonia hians'', it can be distinguished by its larger size and the presence of usnic acid. It may also resemble ''
C. vareschii'', which has a more intense yellow colour and somewhat thicker cortex. However, the presence of squamules, although often scarce, differentiates ''C. flavocrispata'' from these species.
See also
*
List of ''Cladonia'' species
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q107569081
flavocrispata
Lichen species
Lichens described in 2013
Lichens of South America
Taxa named by Teuvo Ahti
Taxa named by Harrie Sipman