TYPE. UNITED STATES. “Hab. Trees; thicket of the Blanco, Texas, Mr. C. Wright! South Carolina, H. W. Ravenel, Esq.! Florida, Dr. Blodgett! Louisiana, Dr. Hale!” (Tuckerman 1858).
Life form. Lichenized fungus.
Description.Thallus fruticose, erect to pendant, yellow-green, branches 8 cm. long; branches elongate, 3 mm wide, becoming white striate with age. Vegetative diaspores absent. Photobiont chlorococcoid alga. Ascomata lecanorine apothecia, common; disk tan, to 3 mm diam. Asci 8-spored; ascospores hyaline, 2-celled,short fusiform, 9-16 x 3-4.5 um.
Chemistry. Cortex K-; medulla K-, KC-, C-, PD-; usnic, sekikaic and homosekikaic acids detected by TLC.
Substrate and habitat. Corticolous on hardwood trees.
Distribution. Gulf and Atlantic coasts of southeastern North America north to the North Carolina; in North Carolina found in the Coastal Plain ecoregion.
Literature
Jones, R.E. (1973) The Lichen Genus Ramalina in the Gulf South Region of the United States. LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 2550.
Tuckerman, E. (1858) Supplement to an Enumeration of North American Lichenes. American Journal of Science and Arts. 25: 422-430.