Lichen: Cladonia gracilis
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Cladonia gracilis.
Name: Cladonia gracilis (L) Willd.
Pronunciation: Cladonia gracilis
Conservation Evaltuation: Least Concern
Body Type: Cladonia – squamulose
Description: The podetia range in size from 2 cm to 7 cm tall and have a diameter of 1.5 mm. Individually they are green through grey to brown in colour. The bottom of the stalks are often black; the tips may be branched by the formation of new cups. A podetium may contain up to three cups with 10 to 25 ‘teeth’. Squamules are commonly present on the podetia, becoming large as the base is approached. The basal squamules (green above and white below) are small, falling in the range of 2 mm to 5 mm; rarely they will reach 10 mm in length. They are crenate. Apothecia and podetia are common. Apothecia reach a width of 7 mm while the pycnidia are 0.2 mm in diameter.
Chemical Tests: K + red-brown.
Cladonia gracilis showing the podetia tips. Photographed in Co. Waterford.
Nature Notes: Found on acid soils that are sandy (well drained), decaying wood and sand dunes.
Vice County Distribution: See map.
Link: Map this species on the Lichen Survey
Other Cladonia recorded in Ireland
- Cladonia arbuscula (Wallr. )Flot. [10]
- Cladonia azorica Ahti
- Cladonia bellidiflora (Ach.) Schaer.
- Cladonia caespiticia (Pers.) Flörke
- Cladonia cariosa (Ach.) Spreng.
- Cladonia cervicornis (Ach. ) Flot.
- Cladonia cervicornis ssp. verticillata (Hoffm.) Ahti
- Cladonia chlorophaea (Flörke ex Sommerf.) Spreng. [11]
- Cladonia ciliata Stirt.
- Cladonia ciliata var. tenuis (Flörke) Ahti
- Cladonia coccifera (L.) Willd. [12]
- Cladonia coniocraea (Flörke) Spreng.
- Cladonia cornuta (L.) Hoffm.
- Cladonia crispata var. cetrariiformis (Delise ex Duby) Vain.
- Cladonia cyathomorpha Stirt. ex Walt.Watson
- Cladonia digitata (L.) Hoffm.
- Cladonia diversa Asperges [13]
- Cladonia fimbriata (L.) Fr.
- Cladonia firma (Nyl.) Nyl.
- Cladonia floerkeana (Fr.) Flörke
- Cladonia foliacea (Huds.) Willd.
- Cladonia furcata (Huds.) Schrad.
- Cladonia furcata ssp. subrangiformis (Sandst.) Abbayes
- Cladonia glauca Flörke
- Cladonia gracilis (L.) Willd.
- Cladonia humilis (With.) J.R.Laundon
- Cladonia incrassata Flörke
- Cladonia luteoalba Wheldon & A.Wilson
- Cladonia macilenta Hoffm.
- Cladonia ochrochlora Flörke
- Cladonia parasitica (Hoffm.) Hoffm.
- Cladonia peziziformis (With.) J.R.Laundon
- Cladonia pleurota (Flörke) Schaer.
- Cladonia pocillum (Ach.) Grognot
- Cladonia polydactyla (Flörke) Spreng.
- Cladonia portentosa (Dufour) Coem.
- Cladonia pyxidata (L.) Hoffm.
- Cladonia ramulosa (With.) J.R.Laundon
- Cladonia rangiferina (L.) F.H.Wigg.
- Cladonia rangiformis Hoffm.
- Cladonia scabriuscula (Delise) Nyl.
- Cladonia squamosa var. subsquamosa (Nyl. ex Leight.) Vain.
- Cladonia stereoclada Abbayes
- Cladonia strepsilis (Ach.) Grognot
- Cladonia subcervicornis (Vain.) Kernst.
- Cladonia subulata (L.) F.H.Wigg.
- Cladonia sulphurina (Michx.) Fr.
- Cladonia uncialis ssp. biuncialis (Hoffm.) M.Choisy
- Cladonia zopfii Vain.
Text and images © Paul Whelan, 2008.