GRAPHIS SCNIPTA - Universitetet i Oslo

Ramalina elegans, new to Sweden and Norway
ROLANO STYTEN
S$rt6n, R. 199i3: Ramalina elegans, new to Sweden and Nonray. Graphis
Scripta 5: 93-95. Stockholm. ISSN 090L-7593.
Ramalina elegans (Bagl. & Carestia) Jatta is reported from eight provinces in
central and eastern Sweden and in one province in southeastern Nonvay. The
lichen contains sekikaic and homosekikaic acids.
Roland Slqtira Botanical Museum (Mycologt), P.O. Box 47, FIN-00014
University of Helsinki, Finland.
Ramalina elegans (Bagl. & Carestia) Jatta was
originally described from northern Italy as R
calicaris p elegares (Baglietto & Carestia 1880
p. 159). More comprehensive descriptions have
been given in htin and Polish by Motyka
(1960, L962). Poelt (1969 p. 561) has given a
short description in German. In brief R elegans
can be said to resemble R. fastigiata, but
it is usually slightly more slender with perforations
in the thallus, especially near the base.
The apothecia are thinner than those of R.
fastigiata, and the edges of the older apothecia
are curved inwards, not outwards as in R
fastigiara. Furthermore there are usually shortish
but distinctive, shallowly branched outgrowths
immediately under the apothecia. A
comprehensive description in English will be
given in a subsequent paper.
Distribution
In southern and central Europe R elegans has
been reported from northern Italy (Baglietto
& Carestia 1880 p. 160), from the Alps, the
Carpathian Mountains and the Balkans
(Motyka 1960 p. 639, L962 p. 157, Poelt l%9
p. 561). Quite recently it was reported from
twelve localities in the northern half of Spain
(Arroyo l99L p.321, Arroyo et al. 1992).
In northern Europe, around the Baltic, R.
elegans has been recently reported from Finland
(Rassi et al. 1986 p. 402), Estonia and
I-atvia (Sairanen 1981 p. 40). Krog & James
(L977) do not mention the species in their
survey of the genus Ramalina in Fennoscandia
and the British Isles.
Among material of R fastigiata (Pers.)
Ach. and R sinensis Jatta from herbaria in
Sweden, Nonvay and Denmatk, 24 specimens
of R elegans collected in Sweden and Norway
were found. In addition, there is one specimen
of R elegans, named R calicaris, in the
Acharian herbarium in Helsinki.
In Sweden the species is concentrated to
the provinces along the coast of the Baltic
proper: Sm6land, Osterg6tland, Sodermanland
and Uppland, on the islands of Gotland and
Gotska Sand6n, and along the coast of the
Gulf of Bothnia: Giistrikland and Hfllsingland.
Only one specimen has been collected in Norwoy,
in Vestfold on the coast of Skagerrak c.
100 km south-southwest of Oslo. However,
the total distribution of R elegans must be still
very incompletely known.
Specimens examined.' Sweden. "Suecia" (H-
ACH L827c). Smdland; Viisteilft, Norrlandet,
Quercus, 1907, Tiickholm (S). OstergOtland:
Gryt, KildilO, L939, Wederholm (GB); Gryt,
Stiteron, Sorbus, L949, Nannfeldt (UPS).
Sddermanland: Salem, 1.908, Malme (S);