Nash, T.H., Ryan, B.D., Gries, C., Bungartz, F., (eds.) 2007. Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert Region. Vol 3.
Basidiomata: indistinct, inducing the formation of large, convex, subspherical or elongate to bullate galls on the host thallus, mostly 0.8-10 mm in diam. gall surface: similar to that of the host, but frequently more intensively pigmented, either darker or more orange-brown; fertile hyphae: 2-4 µm in diam., with clamp connections haustorial branches: not observed hymenium: hyaline, containing numerous probasidia; probasidial initials: subspherical, ellipsoid or pyriform, proliferations occurring through the basal clamp; hyphidia and cystidia: absent basidia: when mature, 4-celled, with longitudinal or rarely oblique septa, some not stalked, others slightly or distinctly stalked, 11-28 x 8.5-15 µm; epibasidia: subcylindrical, 2.5-4.5 µm thick, at least 30 µm long basidiospores: subspherical to shortly ellipsoid, with a distinct apiculus, 4-5.5(-6.5) x 4-5.5(-6) µm Anamorph: unknown. Hosts: on thalli of Niebla cephalota and N. homalea in coastal habitats World distribution: western North America from central, coastal California southwards Sonoran distribution: known from San Luis Obispo Co., California just N of the Sonoran region and Baja California, probably widespread and common in regions where the host genus is common. Notes: Specimens with bullate galls are macroscopically similar to Tremella everniae Diederich. The new species is distinguished by its more elongate, sometimes obliquely septate, mature basidia. In addition, both species have different hosts that are phylogenetically not closely related. Consequently, it is unlikely that the material on both hosts represents a single, variable species. The species is macroscopically and microscopically distinct from both known Tremella species confined to Ramalina, T. ramalinae Diederich and T. tuckerae. Tremella ramalinae has distinct basidiocarps and basidia are very different (Diederich 1996), although specimens have been observed with a certain number of atypical basidia. Tremella tuckerae (see below) also has distinct basidiocarps, a different type of basidia and much larger basidiospores. Diederich (2004) reported Tremella ramalinae from California and Baja California on Ramalina and Vermilacinia species and mentioned the existence of specimens with atypical basidia, in which only longitudinal septa occur. The genus Vermilacinia is now considered as a synonym of Niebla (Bowler and Marsh 2004). These specimens with atypical basidia are all on Niebla species and belong to T. nieblae. The genuine T. ramalinae on Ramalina also exists in California and in Baja California (e.g., type specimen).