Cladonia fruticulosa
Description : Basal squamules persistent, 1.5–5 mm long, 1–2 mm wide, slightly to deeply laciniate, occasionally granular-sorediate at margins or on lower surface. Podetia arising from upper surface or margins of basal squamules, 0.5–2(–4) cm tall, 0.5–1 mm diam., tubular, simple, rarely branched, cup-forming, often partly squamulose, corticate or upper parts ecorticate or almost totally ecorticate; ecorticate areas partly granular-sorediate; cups 0.5–4 mm diam., well-defined or deformed, often with additional marginal cups. Apothecia pale- to dark-brown, 1–2 mm diam., convex, pedicellate or marginal on cups. Pycnidia on cup margins, flask-shaped, dark-brown, 0.3–0.5 × 0.2–0.3 mm.
Chemistry : K−, KC−, Pd+ red or strong yellow; containing fumarprotocetraric acid (major), and protocetraric acid (tr.), or psoromic acid (major) and conpsoromic acid (minor), rarely with usnic acid (major).
N: North Auckland (Hammer 2003b). Known also from Eastern Asia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Is, Fiji and Australia (Archer 1986b, 1992b; Stenroos 1988a; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).
Palaeotropical
Illustration : Stenroos (1988a: 133, fig. 6E, F).
Cladonia fruticulosa is characterised by: persistent basal squamules that have granular-sorediate margins below; simple, cup-forming podetia; a surface that is corticate in upper parts, to ecorticate and partly granular-sorediate; pale- to dark-brown apothecia on cup margins; and fumarprotocetraric and psoromic acids as major secondary metabolites.
