Content uploaded by Andre Aptroot
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Andre Aptroot on Jan 11, 2015
Content may be subject to copyright.
Herzogia 24 (1), 2011 • Kurzmitteilungen / short communications 1
Two recent records of Ramalina calicaris in Germany
André Aptroot & Uwe de Bruyn
Abstract: Aptroot, A. & de Bruyn, U. 2011. Two recent records of Ramalina calicaris in Germany. – Herzogia
24: x–x.
Details are provided for two recent records of Ramalina calicaris in Germany from Borkum, East Frisian Islands
(Lower Saxony) and Gerolstein, Eifel (Rheinland-Pfalz).
Zusammenfassung: Aptroot, A. & de Bruyn, U. 2011. Zwei aktuelle Nachweise von Ramalina calicaris in
Deutschland. – Herzogia 24: xx–xx.
Zwei aktuelle Nachweise von Ramalina calicaris in Deutschland von Borkum, Ostfriesische Inseln (Niedersachsen)
und Gerolstein, Eifel (Rheinland-Pfalz) werden näher beschrieben.
Key words: Lichenized fungi, Eifel, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lower Saxony.
Ramalina calicaris (L.) Fr. is a large fruticose corticolous lichen which occurs mostly in coastal
regions in Europe, extending into Macaronesia, N. Africa and Asia (and possibly N. America).
Unlike several other Ramalina species R. calicaris is not maritime. Its distribution is quite
scattered, and it has, for instance, never been reliably reported in Belgium or Luxembourg.
It has declined markedly since the 19th century, and it continues to decline in e.g. Denmark
(Søchting 1999) and Great Britain (Dobson 2005) and is now extinct in several countries
including The Netherlands.
In Germany, it has in the past been reported from eleven federal states (Scholz 2000). In all of
its former locations it has become extinct, and no new locations have been detected, with the
exception of one recent find in Lower Saxony (Hauck & de Bruyn 2010). However, since
details of the Lower Saxony record are not referred to in Hauck & de Bruyn (2010), they are
provided herewith.
Ramalina calicaris was detected during a survey on the lichen flora of the East Frisian Islands
in 2009 (Fig. 1). On the island of Borkum, three fertile thalli were found on a branch of Salix
caprea east of the village Woldedünen in well-lit but rather sheltered situation. It grows togeth-
er with Ramalina fastigiata and R. farinacea about 4 m above the ground. Despite a detailed
search of likely habitats on the East Frisian Islands, Ramalina calicaris could not be found at
any other locality. The ascospores of the specimen are broadly ellipsoid, straight and have a
size of 12–13 × 5 – 6 µm. Details: Lower Saxony, East Frisian Islands, Borkum, MTB 2406/1
MF 08, leg. U. de Bruyn no. 4672, 28 February 2009, private herbarium de Bruyn.
In 2010, a large specimen (Fig. 2) of Ramalina calicaris was found in the surroundings of
Gerolstein in the Eifel (Rhineland-Palatinate). The lichen flora of this area is rich and well-
2 short communications / Kurzmitteilungen • Herzogia 24 (1), 2011
Fig. 1: Ramalina calicaris from Borkum, scale bar in centimeters.
Fig. 2: Ramalina calicaris from Gerolstein, scale bar in centimeters.
Herzogia 24 (1), 2011 • Kurzmitteilungen / short communications 3
studied, being famous as the only recent lowland locality of Lobaria amplissima (Scop.)
Forssell in Germany (Aptroot & Zielman 2004). The specimen was fallen off a branch after
heavy rains, but was still fresh. The thallus was sterile, but could be identified due to its cana-
liculated shape (Fig. 2). A superficial examination of the accessible parts of the branches of
nearby trees and shrubs (mostly Corylus avellana) did not yield further specimens, but it seems
quite likely that further thalli might have occurred in the canopy. TLC revealed only usnic acid.
Details: Rhineland-Palatinate, Gerolstein, near Müllenborn, on the way to the Eishöhle, leg. A.
Aptroot no. 69182, 5 June 2010, ABL herbarium Soest, Netherlands.
It is speculative whether or not these two recent records signify a come-back of this species.
The specimens are decidedly looking healthy. It may be significant that the new records are
in other regions than where it went extinct: it was never found in the Eifel before or anywhere
else in Rhineland-Palatinate, nor on the East Frisian Islands or anywhere else in the lowlands
of Lower Saxony. Its preference for rather small twigs, possibly in the usually inaccessible
canopy, may account for some undiscovered localities.
Acknowledgements
Leo Spier is warmly thanked for performing TLC on the Eifel specimen.
References
Aptroot, A. & Zielman, R. 2004. Lobaria amplissima and other rare lichens and bryophytes on lava rock outcrop in the
Eifel (Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany). – Herzogia 17: 87–93.
Dobson, F. S. 2005. Lichens. – Richmond Publishing, Slough.
Hauck, M. & de Bruyn, U. 2010. Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der Flechten in Niedersachsen und Bremen. 2.
Fassung, Stand 2010. – Informationsdienst Naturschutz Niedersachsen 30: 1– 84.
Scholz, P. 2000. Katalog der Flechten und flechtenbewohnenden Pilze Deutschlands. – Schriftenreihe für
Vegetationskunde 31: 1–298.
Søchting, U. 1999. Dansk Lavflora. – Københavns Universitet, Copenhagen.
Manuscript accepted: 15 February 2011.
Addresses ot the authors
André Aptroot, ABL Herbarium, Gerrit van der Veenstraat 107, NL-3762 XK Soest, The
Netherlands. E-mail: andreaptroot@wanadoo.nl
Uwe de Bruyn, von-Müller-Straße 30, 26123 Oldenburg, Germany.
E-mail: udebruyn@web.de
