Flora of New Zealand Series

≡Lichen subulatus L., Sp. Pl.: 1153 (1753).

Descriptions : Flora (1985: 122–123); Stenroos (1993: 328; 1995: 108).

Chemistry : K−, KC−, Pd+ red; containing fumarprotocetraric acid complex.

N: South Auckland (Great Mercury I., E of Taupo), S: Nelson (Pelorus Bridge, Black Hill Lake Rotoiti), Canterbury (Canyon Creek Ahuriri Valley), Otago (Forgotten River, Whitbourn Flats Dart Valley, Turret Head Mt Earnslaw, Old Man Ra., Alexandra, Trotter's Gorge, Bethune's Gully Dunedin, Green Island Bush, Kuriwao), Southland (Pukerau, Seaward Bush, Greenhills). St:. On soil below Leptospermum, in peat bogs. Also known from North America, Europe. Africa (Canary Islands) Asia, South America, Australia, Antarctic Peninsula (Stenroos 1993, 1995; Øvstedal & Lewis Smith 2001; Ahti & Hammer 2002; McCarthy 2003c, 2006; Søchting et al. 2004).

Cosmopolitan

Illustrations : Martin & Child (1972: 56, pl. 5); Moberg & Holmåsen (1982: 146); Thomson (1984: 168); Wirth (1987: 161; 1995b: 303, 304E); Stenroos (1993: 325, fig. 8F); Krog et al. (1994: 171); Goward (1999: 127, fig. 28A); Brodo et al. (2001: 273, pl. 270); Dobson (2005: 146).

Cladonia subulata is characterised by: evanescent basal squamules; slender podetia, 30–100 mm tall and to 3.5 mm diam., cylindrical, without cups, often with antler-like irregular proliferations at apices; a white to ashy grey surface that is entirely farinose-sorediate; and with fumarprotocetraric acid and atranorin (±). It differs from C. corniculata in having small cups from which marginal subulate proliferations arise.