Cladonia cornuta #

Taxon #

Cladonia cornuta ssp. cornuta, Cladonia cornuta spp. groenlandica

Organization #

Clade Cladonia, Subclade Graciles (Stenroos et al.)

Identification #

A pixie lichen with two subspecies. In the nominate subspecies, cups are absent and the podetia form points. In C. cornuta ssp. groenlandica, small cups are formed at the tips of the podetia. This species is sorediate in the upper portions of the podetia and esorediate below. The similar C. ochrochlora has conspicuously decorticated areas and more discrete soralia (Brodo et al. 2001). Most other horn-like or pointed Cladonia species with soredia are much more granular; species like C. coniocrea and C. veruculosa. The nominate subspecies of C. cornuta may be mistaken for C. ecmocyna ssp. ecmocyna, with the grayish and finely sorediate upper portion of C. cornuta vaguely mimicking a pruina. The K+ yellow reaction of C. ecmocyna helps to separate it from this species.

Substrate #

Terricolous, lignicolous

Chemical Tests #

K- or K+ brown, C-, KC-, Pd+ red (Brodo et al. 2001)

Photos #