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Niebla flabellata
is a fruticose lichen widely distributed along the Pacific Coast of Baja
California in BC
(Spjut 1996) but not in BCS as reported here earlier. Specimens collected
on the Vizcaíno Peninsula are here referred to
N. spatulata
species complex as a result of Spjut et al. (2020) that shows no DNA
discrimination for three chemotypes that are commonly found near each other;
yet, they belong to three cryptic species. Similar phenotypic thalli north of the peninsula
are recognized as a separate species by having salazinic
acid and relatively short and variously flattened branches arising in small
tufts from a holdfast attached to small stones, rock walls of canyons, or along
steep sides of large boulders. Above the thallus base, the branches become
irregular in shape, varying from nearly linear to somewhat elliptical, or almost
rotund, all of which appear with various lacerations, contortions and spine-like
branchlets. The pycnidia appear less dense and less sharply defined
from the cortical surface.
Niebla flabellata (sensu spjut 1996) in the Northern Vizcaíno
Desert is frequently encountered from Cañón San Fernando south to the Morro Santo Domingo. The most abundant occurrences
were
observed on
lava along the beach areas between Guerrero Negro and Punta Santa Rosalillita,
often as a pebble
Niebla.
In 1979, Spjut and Edson collected a 1 kg sample from Playa Altimar for cancer
research; the voucher specimen was initially identified by Mason Hale,
Desmazieria josecuervoi, the genus name later discovered by Rundel and
Bowler (1978) to be illegitimate, the species N. flabellata (Spjut 1996)
treated as a synonym of Niebla josecuervoi
by Bowler and Marsh in the Lichen Flora of the Greater Sonoran Desert. Niebla flabellata
usually occurs with other lichens, particularly
Vermilacinia
paleoderma along beaches, and N. caespitosa
on vertical rock walls in narrow canyons.
Related salazinic acid species include
Niebla josecuervoi, distinguished by sublinear-prismatic-cylindrical
branches and N. effusa, identified by a
more rigid thallus (thicker cortex) with branches terminally flattened and fringed,
digitately arising in scorpioid fashion.
Niebla limicola, similar in it irregularly widened branches,
differs by the
±
regular occurrence of short bifurcate
acicular branchlets along
primary branch margins below apex.
The phenotypically related
Niebla spatulata was distinguished by hypoprotocetaric acid,
in substitution of salazinic acid, or rarely both acids may be present, or more rarely
neither are present, thus, acid-deficient. As indicated above,
this species is here recognized informally to include salazinic acid thalli. These various chemotypes,
which often occur together, are not morphological
distinguishable except perhaps for the acid deficient thalli that were
identified in the field (for Spjut et al. 2020) by the cortex appearing to
have
stretch marks. They were collected on the Vizcaíno Peninsula, while the
species also occurs on the
southern part of Isla Cedros (Spjut 1996) Acid deficient thalli had
been known only from Baja California Sur. Typical
N. homaleoides
(acid deficient), is characterized by
± linear branches with a polished
cortex, occurring on ridges south of Punta Negra in Baja California. A
thallus collected similar to N. spatulata was found at Arroyo Sauces, between Punta Canoas
and Punta Blanco, W of Rancho San José.
The type for
N. flabellata was collected near Puerto San Andrés. In 1985, the track
to the the former San Andrés Ranch
did not reach the coast; it terminated just beyond the ranch. A
sample collected for anti-HIV screening near Rancho San Andrés was difficult to
separate morphologically from
N. caespitosa, that is otherwise easily distinguished by its lichen substance
of divaricatic acid. The type specimen (Spjut & Marin 9073H5) was
selected from a mix sample of mostly N. caespitosa (Spjut & Marin 9073C,
divaricatic acid) and N. flabellata but included also
N. flagelliforma
(Spjut & Marin 9073F, divaricatic acid) and the type for
N. brachyura
(Spjut & Marin 9073k, hypoprotocetraric acid). In 2016, only
N. caespitosa was collected at the type location. However, a
specimen collected a few km south near Punta Santa Rosalillita, in association
with N. caespitosa and
N. flagelliforma, appeared monophyletic in
Spjut et al. (2020). In the narrowest sense, then, N. flabellata would
appear supported by DNA phylogeny as a micro-endemic species, while the
species as circumscribed by Spjut (1996) awaits further study.
For more discussion and
reference materials see Introduction to Niebla
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