Flora of New Zealand Series

Cladonia mitis Sandst., Abh. naturw. Ver. Bremen 25: 105 (1922).

Primary thallus unknown. Podetia rather slender and delicate, in mats or tufts, 3-10 cm tall and 1-4 mm diam., branching anisotomic in whorls of three or four, sometimes also dichotomous, main stem distinct, ending in 2-5 sterile branchlets pointing in various directions or ± erect or weakly recurved to one side, fertile branches in short corymbs, axils mainly open. Cortex dull, smooth or warted with age, not arachnoid-tomentose, mainly impellucid, not sorediate, whitish or bluish-grey, ultimate branchlets brownish. Apothecia small, brown, single or ± clustered at tips of branchlets. Chemistry: Cortex K-, KC+ yellow, Pd-. Rangiformic and usnic acids.

S: Nelson to Southland, mainly east of Main Divide in alpine or subalpine grasslands. St: (Mt Anglem, Deceit Peaks).

Bipolar

C. mitis is a tundra species found rather rarely in New Zealand in exposed alpine or subalpine heaths on peaty soils, often in association with Alectoria nigricans, Sphaerophorus tener and Usnea contexta.