Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Ramalina aspera Räsänen

ramalina, Ramalina

Material of this taxon was reported as R. complanata by Weber (1986). The species is corticolous and grows, often abundantly, in the coastal and dry zone. It is frequently confused with R. complanata, from which it can be distinguished by its shorter, distinctly broadened and often hollow or inflated lobes. All Galapagos specimens are K- and do not contain salazinic acid (Kashiwadani & Kalb 1993). In contrast, R. complanata typically reacts K+ yellow, slowly turning red. The colour photograph of R. complanata in Brodo et al. (2001) is a good likeness of typical R. aspera and may be a misidentification

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Fungi

Phylum
Ascomycota

Class
Lecanoromycetes

Order
Lecanorales

Family
Ramalinaceae

Genus
Ramalina

Species
aspera

Taxon category: Accepted

In Weber (1986) as Ramalina denticulata, fide A. Aptroot (pers. comm.)

Origin: Native

Status

Least concern

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: A pan-American species.

References

  • Weber, W.A. (1986) The Lichen Flora of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Mycotaxon 27: 451-497.
  • Aptroot, A. Bungartz, F. (2007) The Lichen Genus Ramalina on the Galapagos. The Lichenologist 39: 519-542.
  • Brodo, I. M. Sharnoff, S. D., Sharnoff, S. (2001) Lichens of North America Yale University Press, New Haven.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Ramalina aspera", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=3305. Accessed 24 June 2025.