ASCOMYCOTA | LECANOROMYCETES > LECANORALES > Cladoniaceae

Common name:             -

Synonyms:                     -

Habitat:                          Heaths and moorland

Substrata:                     Peat and sandy soils, lignum               

Growth forms:              Terricolous   

Basal thallus:                  Squamulose

Secondary thallus:        Podetia, 'goblet-shaped' cups

Apothecia:                    Lecideine, red fruits

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

Basal squamules variable; up to 2mm dia., rounded and sparingly indented; upper surface yellow-green, lower surface often yellowish to orange-brown.

Podetia yellow-grey to yellow-green; relatively stout and sometimes deformed; generally, no more than 20mm tall, gradually tapering into relatively wide cups (see below), usually regular and only rarely proliferating from the margins; podetia covered with coarse, easily detachable granules, that often flake off; micro-squamules and scale-like plates on the upper part and within the cups.

Apothecia or pycnidia usually present or at least frequent; apothecia bright red, around the margin, often small, but enlarging and often becoming confluent, occasionally spilling over and covering the whole of the cup; pycnidia black or reddish, containing red gel.

Cladonia diversa is part of the Cladonia coccifera aggregate together with Cladonia borealis, C.deformis, C.pleurota and C.straminea. Although Cladonia coccifera s.str could possibly occur locally, all of these associates are generally regarded as upland or montane species apart from Cladonia diversa, which is by far the most widespread and certainly the more likely 'red pixie-cup' form to be found on lowland heaths. One quite obvious difference between the two species is that the narrower, evenly tapering cups that are generally found in Cladonia diversa give it a more streamlined appearance in comparison with Cladonia coccifera, which typically has wider flaring cups as can be seen in the photo taken in Austria (in the Montane collection).

They also look rather similar to Cladonia pyxidata, because of the shape of the cups and the coarse granules within the bowl, but in that species apothecia and pycnidia are rare and would be brown, not bright red.

Cladonia diversa primarily grows on peat and sandy soils on heathland and moors in both lowland and upland locations, but also on soil over rocks and in wall crevices, around tree bases, and on old stumps and lignum.