Niebla rugosa

The World Botanical Associates Web Page
Prepared by Richard W. Spjut
April 2003, comments 2005

Niebla and Vermilacinia (Ramalinaceae) from California and Baja California.  
Spjut, R.W., 1996. ISSN 0833-1475, 208 pp.  
Sida, Botanical Miscellany: 14. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Inc.

 


rugosa-9699-isotype.jpg (40717 bytes)

Near Bahía Tortugas, Spjut 9699, isotype, May 1986

rugosa-10566.jpg (96847 bytes)

Vizcaíno Peninsula, rocky
mesa at San Andrés, Spjut &
Marin 10566, Apr 1989

rugosa-12760.jpg (80794 bytes)

Between Campo Nuevo
and San Carlos, Spjut &
Marin 12760, Apr 1993

rugosa-13112.jpg (179760 bytes)

Mesa Camacho, north of Punta Canoas, Spjut & Marin 13112, Apr 1994


rugosa11251.jpg (220210 bytes)

Mesa Camacho,
Spjut 11251, Apr 1990
also used for illustration in
Spjut (1996)

rugosa-13055.jpg (191760 bytes)

Mesa Camacho,
Spjut & Marin 13055,
Apr 1994

rugosa-13074.jpg (131228 bytes)

Mesa Camacho, Spjut & Marin 13074, Apr 1994


 

Isla Cedros,
Spjut & Marin 10539,
Apr 1989

 

Geographical occurrences

 

     Niebla rugosa was first recognized from a single collection obtained on the Vizcaíno Peninsula from near Bahía Tortugas in May 1986.  An effort was made to include this under N. contorta, N. podetiaforma, or N. undulata; however, additional specimens, one from near Arroyo San Andrés in 1989, and two others from Mesa Camacho and Isla Cedros in 1990, helped reinforce this as a distinct species.  Later collections from Mesa Camacho and north of Punta San Carlos have further helped to define this species. As the epithet implies, Niebla rugosa has a wrinkled thallus, and as evident from the photos shown above, this is due in part to the prominent transverse cortical ridges.   This species may be common just north of Punta San Carlos where more specimens were collected from any particular site.  It seems most related to N. siphonoloba that differs by having sekikaic acid, instead of divaricatic acid.  The two species do not appear to occur together.