ASCOMYCOTA | LECANOROMYCETES > LECANORALES > Cladoniaceae

Common name:             Mealy Pixie-cup

Synonyms:                     -

Habitat:                           Heathland, acid grassland, open woodland

Substrata:                       Soil, mossy banks, rotting stumps

Growth forms:               Terricolous, lignicolous                               

Basal thallus:                  Squamulose

Secondary thallus:         Podetia, 'goblet-shaped' cups

Apothecia:                     Lecideine, brown fruits

BLS identity rating: Graded 1/5 (identification in the broad sense should be straightforward)

Basal squamules small, broad, erect and usually incised; dull grey-green upperside with white under surface darkening towards the base; persistent or disappearing.

Podetia greenish to grey-greenish, sometimes slightly browned, with any exposed medulla being white; variable, but typically, from 5-30mm tall, although occasionally up to 40mm; mostly stout, but sometimes rather slender; flaring gradually into 'goblet-shaped' cups, which are usually around 3-6mm dia., but possibly as wide as 10mm; scyphi mostly regular and indented, but occasionally proliferating from the margins; both the outer surface and the interior of the cups are covered in small granular soredia; outer surface can be corticate.

Apothecia, brown, frequent and relatively large, sessile or raised on short stalks at the cup margins; pycnidia, also brown, but tiny, often visible around the margin.

The Cladonia chlorophaea complex includes 'pixie-cup' species with brown apothecia, and podetia with granular soredia, not course corticate granules as found on Cladonia pyxidata. Separation of the species, namely Cladonia chlorophaea s.str as previously described, and Cladonia grayi and its closely associated relatives discussed on the following pages, is only possible with detailed inspection and spot-testing.

Given that I'm primarily trying to identify these species from photos, they should perhaps all be labelled as Cladonia chlorophaea agg., but as these entries are for personal reference, I find it useful to have them separated. In this respect, the photos featured below, which were taken at various locations, have been selected to show different forms - I just hope that they've all been correctly identified as members of the complex.