Cladonia pleurota & Similar #

Taxa #

Cladonia coccifera, Cladonia pleurota, Cladonia straminea

Organization #

Clade Erythrocarpae, Subclade Subglaucescentes (Stenroos et al. 2018)

Identification #

These related species are all very similar both morphologically and chemically; it is not difficult to confuse them in the field. All three species are red-fruited, producing bright scarlet apothecia. Cladonia straminea can often be separated by the squamulose cups. The other species may have squamules on the cups but not usually occuring all the way to the rim of the cup as is common in C. straminea. C. pleurota and C. coccifera are especially difficult to separate. C. coccifera transitions from flattened areoles on the stalks of the podetia to bullate granules inside the cup. C. pleuorta has granules which are consistent over the entirety of the podetia. C. umbticola may also be confused for any of these species but has at least some pycnidia which are brownish or blackened and with cups which are often not so well developed.

Substrate #

Terricolous, musciolous, bryocolous, lignicolous

Chemical Tests #

thalli:

Nimis P.L., 2025. ITALIC - The Information System on Italian Lichens. Version 8.0. University of Trieste, Dept. of Biology, (https://dryades.units.it/italic), accessed on 2025, 05, 12. for all. All data are released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Photos #