Ramalina fastigiata (Pers.) Ach.

Sharifi, Maryam, Mehregan, Iraj, Sohrabi, Mohammad, Larijani, Kambiz & Sipman, Harrie, 2025, A synopsis of the lichen genus Ramalina (Ramalinaceae) in Iran, Phytotaxa 702 (3), pp. 255-273 : 262

Ramalina fastigiata (Pers.) Ach. ; Mycobank #403716

Lichenographia Universalis: 603 (1810). – Lichen fastigiatus Pers. 1794.

Type:— Herb. Persoon, no data (L— lectotype) ( Krog & James (1977).

Unfortunately, the single specimen reported from Iran Safavi (2015) was unavailable for review during this study. The description below is derived from Cannon et al. (2021) and Nimis & Martellos (2024).

Thallus fruticose, typically erect, developing tufts that can reach a width of around 4 centimeters. Lobes wellbranched, pulvinate, to 4 cm in length, 8 mm in width, occasionally becoming slack and pendant, pale- to dark graygreen. Branches cylindrical or rather angular, barely flattened, hollow, and puffy. Soralia and isidia absent. Apothecia abundant, apical, commonly all on a single level (umbel-shaped) on top of the thallus lobes.

Chemistry: Medulla spot tests K–, C–, KC–, PD–, UV–; TLC: Usnic and evernic acid ( Cannon et al. 2021).

Ecology and distribution: Typically, this species occurs in well-lit habitatsareas, such as twigs or trunks in hedgerows exposed to the wind, parkland tree bark rich in nutrients, and infrequently on rocks or hills. Its range includes the British Isles and Europe, particularly the western region. Additionally, R. fastigiata has been identified in Turkey ( Cansaran et al. 2007), and there are references to its presence in Armenia and Azerbaijan ( Harutyunyan et al. 2011, Gasparyan & Sipman 2016).

Note: Elongated forms of R. fastigiata might can be confused with R. calicaris , which differs by its grooved, flattened lobes that often containyield sekikaic acid ( Cannon et al. 2021).