''Ramalina fraxinea'', the cartilage lichen, is a

fruticose lichen A fruticose lichen is a form of lichen fungi that is characterized by a coral-like shrubby or bushy growth structure. It is formed from a symbiotic relationship of a photobiont such as green algae or less commonly cyanobacteria and one, two or m ...

with erect or pendulous

thalli Thallus (: thalli), from Latinized Greek (), meaning "a green shoot" or "twig", is the vegetative tissue of some organisms in diverse groups such as algae, fungi, some liverworts, lichens, and the Myxogastria. A thallus usually names the entir ...

and branches that are flattened. Colour varies from pale green though yellow-grey to white-grey;

apothecia An ascocarp, or ascoma (: ascomata), is the fruiting body ( sporocarp) of an ascomycete phylum fungus. It consists of very tightly interwoven hyphae and millions of embedded asci, each of which typically contains four to eight ascospores. As ...

are frequent and

soralia Soredia are common reproductive structures of lichens. Lichens reproduce asexually by employing simple fragmentation and production of soredia and isidia. Soredia are powdery propagules composed of fungal hyphae wrapped around cyanobacteria or g ...

may also be present.

Habitat and distribution

This lichen is widespread in the United Kingdom, being found on tree bark. In north-eastern England and eastern Scotland it is often well developed, growing up to 12 cm with thongs of up to 2 cm wide. In less favourable areas it is much smaller. The species has declined markedly since the mid 20th century and is now rare or absent in many UK areas. Its sensitivity to air pollution and fertilizer enrichment may be reasons for the decline. It is mainly found on the bark of ''Acer'', ''Fraxinus'', ''Populus'', ''Tilia'' and ''Ulmus''; it has been found growing on ''Rhododendron''Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh.
and oak. It has been recorded in Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, France,
England, Scotland, Hungary, Norway and Latvia. The species has been widely recorded in the United States of America. ''Ramalina fraxinea'' likes windy, exposed and well-lit sites and it is found on species with nutrient-rich bark.Geograph photographs
/ref> The species also likes humid or foggy areas near ponds or rivers.Enclylopedia of Life
/ref>

Structure and appearance

The Latin name 'Ramas' means branch. This genus is a shrubby or fruticose group with erect or pendulous thalli. The branches are flattened and rather stiff. Colour varies from pale green though yellow-grey to white-grey. Apothecia are frequent and soralia may be present. Apothecia are usually concave and often pruinose. ''R. fraxinea'' branches have a very distinctive shape, being widest toward the middle (as much as 4.5 cm in some specimens) and tapering at both the point of attachment and toward the tip (to about 1 cm). The thallus is green-grey in colour, pendent and may be as long as 10 cm. It has the overall appearance of being coarsely tufted, individual branches showing a channelled, wrinkled appearance. The branches may have a twist or turn to them. The apothecia are cup-like and convex and are found both along the edges of the branches and on the surface or lamina.Lichens of Ireland Project
/ref> The Ramalinas are also known as 'bush', 'strap', or 'gristle' lichens. They always grow upside-down, and this plant looks like seaweed nailed to a tree.

Life cycle

The spores are kidney-shaped. It does not contain as many apothecia as ''Ramalina fastigiata''. The specimens in the photographs here shown here are very large, but does not have many apothecia, the spore-producing discs. The few that were present were borne on short stalks, and were located on the surface of the lobes, especially near the edges.

Sensitivity to air pollution

''Ramalina fraxinae'' is very sensitive to

air pollution Air pollution is the presence of substances in the Atmosphere of Earth, air that are harmful to humans, other living beings or the environment. Pollutants can be Gas, gases like Ground-level ozone, ozone or nitrogen oxides or small particles li ...

(SO2). It likes windy, exposed and well-lit sites and is found mainly on trees. It was found in Edinburgh in 2008 after an absence since 1797 due to air pollution.

Uses

Ramalina ''Ramalina'' is a genus of greenish fruticose lichens that grow in the form of flattened, strap-like branches. Members of the genus are commonly called strap lichensField Guide to California Lichens, Stephen Sharnoff, Yale University Press, 201 ...

'' species were at one time dried and ground down to produce a white hair powder and also used as a cure for

chilblains Chilblains, also known as pernio, is a medical condition in which damage occurs to capillary beds in the skin, most often in the hands or feet, when blood perfuses into the nearby tissue, resulting in redness, itching, inflammation, and possibly ...

. It was also used in making perfumes and in Sweden, northern Europe and northern Russia, ''R. fraxinea'' has been used to make brandy. This process was most commonly used with ''Cladina rangiferina'', but several other lichen species have been used.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q309630 fraxinea Lichen species Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Lichens described in 1753 Lichens of Europe Lichens of North America