Cladonia rei Schaer.
Primary squamules persistent or disappearing, small to medium, 3 × 2 mm, irregularly lobed, crenate to sinuate or incised, ascending, upper surface glaucescent or pale olive-green or pale glaucescent, rather slaty when dry, lower surface white, esorediate or sparingly granular below. Podetia growing from upper surface of primary squamules (14-)25-90 mm tall, slender, 1-2(-3.5) mm diam., narrowing apically to single cup or rather commonly subulate, margins of cups entire to denticulate, or with 1-7 subulate proliferations, the lower half of podetia corticate. Cortex continuous to verrucose, often with palmate squamules or commonly becoming entirely granular-sorediate towards cups, sometimes isidiate, ashy-glaucescent or dark ashy or brownish. Apothecia dark brown or black, often perforate, at tips of blunt podetia or on stalks at margins of cups. Chemistry: Cortex K-, KC?, Pd+ red or -. Homosekikaic acid and ± fumarprotocetraric acid.
N: Near Palmerston North (Tiritea Stream). S: Nelson Lakes, Marlborough, Westland, Fiordland, inland and coastal Otago.
Cosmopolitan
In earlier accounts this species was called C. nemoxyna Nyl. C. rei is distinguished by irregular, esorediate, granular-squamulose podetia and is the only species in the genus with homosekikaic and fumarprotocetraric acids.
