ASCOMYCOTA | LECANOROMYCETES > LECANORALES > Cladoniaceae

Common name:             -                        

Synonyms:                    Cladonia destricta

Habitat:                          Heathland, upland moors

Substrata:                      Dry or damp acid soil

Growth forms:              Terricolous

Basal thallus:                  Squamulose, absent or fast disappearing

Secondary thallus:        Podetia, pointed

Apothecia:                    Rare

BLS identity rating:        Graded 2/5 (visual identification possible with care)

Basal squamules absent or fast disappearing.

Podetia typically around 50mm tall; forming loose, occasionally spreading, but generally isolated mats of spiky-looking tufts; stems around 2-3mm dia., hollow and thin walled, somewhat inflated; sparsely branched, divergent and widening at the axils; all very similar to Cladonia uncialis except that the podetia are usually more decumbent and the branches more widely divergent, with the axils generally closed rather than mostly perforate.

Evenly coloured silver-grey throughout, compared with Cladonia uncialis, which is pale yellow-green to greyish green, and generally brownish towards the apices; importantly, the surface is opaque with the algae clusters not visible, but forming verrucose lumps, which results in the distinctive colour. In contrast, Cladonia uncialis has a translucent surface with visible algae clusters in a smooth surfaced cortex giving it a distinctive marbled, 'giraffe-skin-like', pattern.

Apothecia very rare.

Cladonia zopfii is now regarded as a rare declining, albeit probably under-recorded, species which seems to be pretty much restricted to the Scottish Highlands and certain heathland areas of the New Forest where it tends to occur in two distinct habitats. They are the open, heavily grazed heathland areas at the transition from wet to humid heath, and in the hollow ways or other disturbed areas in dry heath locations.