Chalky ramalina

Description:

A pale green, sorediate, fruticose lichen with flattened branches and a green photobiont. THALLUS — fruticose, up to 2 (6) cm, pale green to yellow; branches mostly solid, shiny, 1–3 (6) cm long and 0.5–2 (3) mm wide, cartilaginous, palmately branched, somewhat channeled, narrowing toward the tips but the tips often appearing to “burst” into lip-like soralia. —soredia powdery or granular, rounded to labriform, terminal or occasionally laminal. —isidia absent. —rhizines and cilia absent. —pseudocyphellae absent. —pycnidia absent. —photobiont green (Trebouxia).

Habitat:

Spotted on the ground next to Bear creek in Redmond, WA. Ecology — Ramalina pollinaria is found in or near wetlands on bark, wood, and rock. In the Pacific Northwest, it is known from spruce in low elevation swamps. Kashiwadani and Nash III (2004) list rock as the primary substrate in Sonoran Desert region. Distribution — Ramalina pollinaria is known from Eurasia, North America, and New Zealand. In western North America, R. pollinaria is known from Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. In Oregon, R. pollinaria is reported from Clatsop, Coos, Curry, Lane, Lincoln, Marion, and Tillamook counties within the Coast Range and West Cascades ecoregions.

Notes:

See pg. 90 of .pdf "Rare lichens of Oregon" . It gives great descriptions of some of these less common lichens in the Pacific Northwest.