ASCOMYCOTA | LECANOROMYCETES > LECANORALES > Cladoniaceae

Common name:             -

Synonyms:                     -

Habitat:                           Heathland

Substrata:                       Damp acid soil            

Growth forms:               Terricolous     

Basal thallus:                  Squamulose

Secondary thallus:         Podetia, rarely present

Apothecia:                     Rare

BLS identity rating:        Graded 2/5 (possible, although spot testing recommended to be sure)

A comparatively large species forming patches of mostly sterile cushions of small squamules, which are shallowly notched at the tips. The upper surface typically being a mottled bronze to greenish-brown colour when dry, but usually turning bright apple-green when wet. The undersides of the squamules are white.

Podetia are very infrequent but, where present, short to 10mm tall at most, irregular and somewhat swollen, with tiny branches at the apices. Apothecia rare, usually dark brown, on the tips of the podetia.

Cladonia strepsilis is a heathland species that's unfortunately in serious decline and, is now, only found in a few locations, primarily in the Scottish Highlands and the New Forest and, albeit less frequently, in parts of North Wales and the Lake District. Interestingly though, the only known area locally that I'm aware of, outside of the New Forest, is at a location known as Summerlug Hill on the north-eastern side of Holt Heath, which is where I photographed one of the specimens featured below.  

The 'New Forest Lichen Survey 2015' report describes the species as "a specialist of hard open damp humus found in both hard-grazed and control-burned heathlands and is probably the most fire-resistant Cladonia".  Holt Heath is grazed by cattle for around six-months of the year but also, in the specific area where the species has been recorded (a location that I intend to revisit to take more photos) there's a relatively wide, well-trodden, compacted track where the species seems to be quite well established.

After writing the above, I found quite a few patches of the species in a lichen-rich wet heath area of the New Forest. They looked so different to the really wet specimen that I photographed at Holt Heath that I had to satisfy myself that they were indeed Cladonia strepsilis, which I did with a simple spot-test that produced a brief C+ emerald green reaction, which is highly distinctive. And, during a return visit, I spotted a patch where there were a couple of podetia with apothecia as shown in the last photo - hard to see, but possible if you click the magnifier.