Niebla brachyura

Niebla brachyura is a rare fruticose lichen that grows along the Pacific Coast of North America in the fog regions of the northern peninsula of Baja California in the Northern Vizcaíno Desert. The epithet, brachyura, is in regard to the species resembling a crab lying on its back with its leg appendages pointing up.[1]

Niebla brachyura
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Ascomycota
Class:
Lecanoromycetes
Order:
Lecanorales
Family:
Ramalinaceae
Genus:
Niebla
Species:
N. brachyura
Binomial name
Niebla brachyura
Spjut 1996

Distinguishing Features

Niebla brachyura is recognized by a hemispherical thallus similar to the reindeer lichen Cladonia rangiferina, loosely attached to soil without a holdfast, intricately divided into thick rigid tubular prismatic branches irregularly forked near apex, the tips usually with black dot-like pycnidia, and by containing the lichen substance hypoprotocetraric acid. It grows with other species, notably Niebla arenaria, on mud flats near the ocean. Similar species are Niebla effusa, distinguished by containing the lichen substance salazinic acid, and Niebla pulchribarbara, distinguished by containing protocetraric acid.[1]

Taxonomic History

Niebla brachyura was first collected just north of Punta Santa Rosalillita in May 1986 as part of a 100 gram sample that largely contained Niebla caespitosa intended for anti-HIV screening by the National Cancer Institute, but the sample was not submitted because of the novel chemotype that was discovered for the genus. Only one thallus was found in the sample. It was later discovered at two other locations, Punta Canoas and Punta Cono.[1]

gollark: So... that 1 returned there... is *that* a tuple?
gollark: Yes, which is pointless.
gollark: Making b be a 1-tuple adds nothing.
gollark: ```haskella = () -- empty/0-tupleb = (()) -- is not 1-tuple, just () - 1-tuple doesn't really add anythingc = ((), ()) -- 2-tuple of 0-tuples```
gollark: 1-tuples are pointless though.

References
  1. Spjut, R. W. 1996. Niebla and Vermilacinia (Ramalinaceae) from California and Baja California. Sida Bot. Misc. 14

World Botanical Associates, Niebla brachyura, retrieved 17 Dec 2014, http://www.worldbotanical.com/niebla_brachyura.htm#brachyura

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