Galapagos Species Database

Taxon category: Accepted

F. Bungartz: all Galapagos specimens consistently lack zeorin, but nevertheless have a distinctly K+ yellow medulla. The material is thus chemically and morphologically distinct both from P. aipolia (with zeorin, medulla K+ yellow) and P. biziana (lacking zeorin, but medulla K–). According to Weber (1986 p. 479) P. mexicana has a K+ yellow medulla. He also annotated a COLO specimen (L-54827, COLO 255255) as: " topotype and exactly matching the type (= P. mexicana de Lesd., med. K+ yel., not = B. biziana as Thomson claimed)". This annotation is, however, partly incorrect. Physcia mexicana was described from Mexico. A Galapagos specimen thus cannot possibly be considered a topotype, which, by definition is a specimen collected at the type collection. Physcia mexicana was not included in Moberg (1990), because possible syntype material in UPS is in very poor condition. At the time of Moberg's studies, the species was considered synonymous with P. aipolia, but TLC was not performed and it is possible that the scant material reacts K+ yellow, but lacks zeorin (Moberg, pers. com.). Until the chemistry of the type material has been studied, the name is used here in the sense of Weber (1986) and Elix and not considered a synonym of P. aipolia.

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

• Weber, W.A. (1986) The Lichen Flora of the Galápagos Islands, Ecuador. Mycotaxon 27: 451-497.
• Elix, J.A. McCarthy, P.M. (1998) Catalogue of the Lichens of the Smaller Pacific Islands. Bibliotheca Lichenologica 70, J. Cramer, Berlin, Stuttgart, 361pp.
• Moberg, R. (1990) The lichen genus Physcia in Central and South America. Nord. J. Bot. 10: 319-342.