Cladonia merochlorophaea Asahina
Similar to C. chlorophaea but much less variable. Podetia 15-40 mm tall, rather abruptly flaring, cups 2-6 mm diam. Cortex strongly areolate-corticate to verrucose, granular soredia firmly attached and densely packed in cup interior, dark greenish-brown, exposed medulla at base red-brown. Apothecia compound, brown to black, sessile, stipitate. Chemistry: Cortex K-, KC+ purplish-red in acetone only, Pd+ red or -. Two chemodemes. (i) Merochlorophaeic, 4-O-methylcryptochlorophaeic and fumarprotocetraric acids. (ii) sekikaic, homosekikaic and fumarprotocetraric acids. The two chemodemes have an identical morphology.
S: Westland, Otago, Southland. On soil, logs and rocks.
Cosmopolitan
