ASCOMYCOTA | LECANOROMYCETES > LECANORALES > Cladoniaceae

Common name:             Finger Pixie-cup

Synonyms:                      -

Habitat:                           Woodland

Substrata:                       Rotting trunks, stumps

Growth forms:               Lignicolous  

Basal thallus:                  Squamulose

Secondary thallus:         Podetia

Apothecia:                     Lecideine, but often infertile

BLS identity rating: Graded 2/5 (relatively straightforward with care)

Basal squamules, usually dominant and often horizontally spreading; relatively large, somewhat erect, rounded lobes to 10mm wide, scarcely indented, and often overlapping; upper surface pale green to yellowish grey-green, underside white, with an orange tinge towards the base, entirely covered with white farinose soralia.

Podetia to 15mm tall at most, invariably curved, sometimes decumbent, pointed or with irregular narrow scyphi, which occasionally proliferate from the margins; the surface entirely covered with farinose soralia, although sometimes with a few corticate patches towards the base.

Apothecia and pycnidia infrequent; red, at ends of the pointed apices or on short projections from the scyphi.

Cladonia digitata is primarily found on damp rotting wood, particularly large fallen tree trunks in mature woodland where it often occurs alongside or amongst mosses; also on rotting conifer stumps, and more rarely on peaty soils; widespread, but local and only frequent in well-wooded areas.   

Could be confused with Cladonia polydactyla although that species has smaller, more incised squamules and usually, more numerous, more erect podetia.