Cladina leptoclada (Abbayes) D.J.Galloway
Cladonia leptoclada des Abb., Rev. bryol. lichénol. 16: 75 (1947).
Primary thallus evanescent. Podetia in mats or tufts often spreading in dense swards, 2-15 cm tall, branching loose to dense, isotomic, mainly trichotomous, irregular or forming compact rounded heads, branches slender 0.3-0.4 mm diam., internodes 5 mm long, axils distinctly open with star-like diverging branchlets. Cortex cottony with minute algal glomerules, greenish-yellow to pale yellow, sometimes bright yellow, never brownish at apices. Chemistry: Cortex K-, KC+ yellow, Pd-. Perlatolic, anziaic and usnic acids.
N: Three Kings Is to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: Very widely distributed in all parts, to 2000 m. In subalpine peat bogs and in grassland or amongst Leptospermum and Dracophyllum in heathland.
Palaeotropical
It is probable that Cladonia alpestrioides [des Abbayes Rev. bryol. lichénol. 16: 70 (1947)] is conspecific with C. leptoclada. Prof. T. Ahti (in litt.) indicates that C. leptoclada is now referable to C. confusa (R. Sant.) Follmann et Ahti [ Philippia 4: 321 (1981)].
