Cladonia phyllophora #

Taxon #

Cladonia phyllophora

Identification #

Given the common name of the felt horn Cladonia (Brodo et al. 2001?), this species is pleasantly soft to the touch along the podetia without having a layer of soredia to rub off. Most forms are rather erratic but still with some weakly-formed cups. This is another species with brown apothecia when present. Most forms abundantly squamulose. Bases of the often but not always mottled. Usually in shaded situations, more common in the forests than open tundra and coastal areas. Found usually within eyeshot of large freshwater bodies such as large lakes and rivers.

Substrate #

Terricolous (CLH)

Chemical Tests #

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

Notes #

Other esorediate and rather erratic species which also often have mottled bases such as C. stricta and C. trassii can be separated by some morphological features such as the ‘verticillate cups often seen in C. stricta, or by larger squamules in C. trassii. The K+ yellow result for those two species can easily separate from C. phyllophora (CLH). The tips of the podetia in C. phyllophora often terminate with weakly formed cups which have not yet flared in maturity which is usually not the case in the slenderer species like C. stricta and C. trassii.