''Niebla limicola'' is a

fruticose lichen A fruticose lichen is a form of lichen fungi that is characterized by a coral-like shrubby or bushy growth structure. It is formed from a symbiotic relationship of a photobiont such as green algae or less commonly cyanobacteria and one, two or mor ...

that grows on barren mud flats and on sand among salt scrub along the Pacific Coast of the Vizcaíno Desert, of

Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...

from San Vicente Canyon to Scammon’s Lagoon (

Guerrero Negro Guerrero Negro is the largest town located in the municipality of Mulegé in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur (BCS). It had a population of 14,316 in the 2015 census. The town is served by Guerrero Negro Airport. Whale Festival The ...

).Spjut, R. W. 1996. ''Niebla'' and ''Vermilacinia'' (Ramalinaceae) from California and Baja California. Sida Bot. Misc. 14 The epithet, '' limicola'' is in reference to the

thallus Thallus (plural: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. Many of these organisms wer ...

growing on barren (alkali) soil.

Distinguishing features

''Niebla limicola'' is distinguished by a hemispherical thallus lying loose on soil without a central holdfast (

terricolous A terricolous lichen is a lichen that grows on the soil as a substrate. An example is some members of the genus ''Peltigera ''Peltigera'' is a genus of approximately 100 species of foliose lichens in the family Peltigeraceae. Commonly known as ...

), divided into variously shaped branches, partly narrow in length and prismatic in cross section, and partly flattened and dilated from which short acicular bifurcating branchlets arise, the thallus up to 10 cm high and 15 cm across. The species (''N. limicola'') also recognized by containing

salazinic acid Salazinic acid is a depsidone with a lactone ring. It is found in some lichens, and is especially prevalent in ''Parmotrema'' and ''Bulbothrix'', where its presence or absence is often used to help classify species in those genera. History I ...

(without

triterpene Triterpenes are a class of chemical compounds composed of three terpene units with the molecular formula C30H48; they may also be thought of as consisting of six isoprene units. Animals, plants and fungi all produce triterpenes, including squale ...

s), and by a relatively thin cortex, (0-)45–75 μm thick, appearing to erode on dilated parts of branches; the thinner cortex evidently related to the contorted appearance of the branches in addition to the

medulla Medulla or Medullary may refer to: Science * Medulla oblongata, a part of the brain stem * Renal medulla, a part of the kidney * Adrenal medulla, a part of the adrenal gland * Medulla of ovary, a stroma in the center of the ovary * Medulla of th ...

being partly hollow (fistulose). The species (''N. limicola'') is most similar to '' Niebla flabellata'', which differs by its thallus growing on rocks attached to a holdfast at base, and by the irregular lacerations of the thallus branches, instead of the regular bifurcations of acicular branches that develop in ''N. limicola''. '' Niebla arenaria'', which is also similar in the terricolous habit and by the bifurcate branchlets, differs by the mostly linear shape of the branches.

Taxonomic history

''Niebla limicola'' was recognized as a distinct species by three individuals on separate occasions before the species was described by Richard Spjut in 1996. Gerhard Follman, a specialist in the taxonomy of the genus ''

Ramalina ''Ramalina'' is a genus of greenish fruticose lichens that grow in the form of flattened, strap-like branches. Members of the genus are commonly called strap lichensField Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 201 ...

'', which included ''Niebla'', the family

Roccellaceae The Roccellaceae are a family of fungi in the order Arthoniomycetes. Most taxa are lichenized with green algae, although some are lichenicolous, growing on other lichens. Genera , Species Fungorum (in the Catalogue of Life) accepts 47 genera an ...

, and other lichen groups, who was at

on 3 January 1989 during a winter 1989-90 lichen expedition headed by Thomas Nash III for the project—Greater Sonoran Desert Lichen Flora collected and photographed specimens he sent in 1993 to Richard Spjut who had been conducting a taxonomic revision of the genus. Spjut had also collected it (''N. limicola'') earlier at Guerrero Negro on 20 April 1990 (type). Additionally, his field partner, Richard Marin, while acting as a

tour guide A tour guide (U.S.) or a tourist guide (European) is a person who provides assistance, information on cultural, historical and contemporary heritage to people on organized sightseeing and individual clients at educational establishments, religio ...

in Baja California to Scammon’s Lagoon on 15 Feb 1991, recognized it as possibly distinct from what he had recalled seeing during lichen expeditions he had accompanied Richard Spjut to Baja California (1985–1987, 1989–1990), collected a specimen (Marin & Spjut 11916) and gave it to Spjut in March 1991 as they traveled again to Baja California. This specimen was cited, along with Follmann’s specimen, in the taxonomic revision of the genus ''Niebla'' with Follmann included as coauthority for the species name. Although the species (''N. limicola'') was independently recognized as possibly new by three individuals, and subsequently described as new in 1996, it was later included in synonymy with the earlier name '' Niebla josecuervoi'' in the ''Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert'', without a revised description for '' Niebla josecuervoi'', except for reference made to description of ''

Niebla homalea ''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 ...

''.Bowler, P. and J. Marsh. 2004. ''Niebla''. ‘Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert 2’: 368–380. Essentially, only two or three species in the genus ''Niebla'' were described. ''Niebla'', as defined by Spjut, has a two-layered cortex, isolated chondroid strands in the medulla, and lichen substances predominantly depsides with triterpenes differing from those in ''

Vermilacinia ''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 ...

'' or depsidones lacking the terpenes.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. The two disparate treatments of ''Niebla'', including ''

'', were noted in a book review.Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert: Book Review, Richard Spjut, web page, http://www.worldbotanical.com/lichen%20flora%20review.htm

References

External links

*World Botanical Associates, ''Niebla limicola'', retrieved 28 Dec 2014, http://www.worldbotanical.com/niebla_limicola.htm#limicola {{Taxonbar, from=Q18746359 Lichen species Lichens of North America Ramalinaceae Lichens described in 1996 Taxa named by Richard Wayne Spjut