Cladonia crispata var. cetrariiformis
≡Cenomyce gracilis var. cetrariiformis Delise in J.É.Duby, Bot. Gall. 2: 625 (1830).
Description : Primary thallus squamulose, squamules persistent or evanescent, 2 mm long and 1 mm diam., irregularly subdigitate. Podetia growing from upper surface of basal squamules, less commonly dying at base, 1–6(–8) cm tall, 0.5–2 mm diam., greenish white or pale- to dark-brown in old specimens, irregularly radiately branched, with occasional narrow scyphi or ascyphous; axils mostly open, tips subulate or bluntish; cortex totally corticate, smooth or areolate, becoming warted with age, with some squamules near base, without soredia. Apothecia terminal on margins of scyphi, clustered, 0.5–2 mm diam., convex, brown. Pycnidia terminal on margins of scyphi, 0.2 × 0.1 mm, cylindrical, black.
Chemistry : Cortex K− or + yellow, C−, KC−, Pd− or + yellow, UV+ white; containing thamnolic acid (major) or squamatic acid (major) with barbatic acid (major) in the apothecia.
N:? S:? Also known from Great Britain, Europe, North America, Japan, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Australia (Stenroos 1988a; Archer 1992b; Purvis et al. 1992; McCarthy 2003c, 2006).
Cosmopolitan
Illustrations : Stenroos (1988a: 122, fig. 3E, F); Goward (1999: 112, fig. 8B; 115, fig. 7B); Dobson (2000: 127).
Cladonia crispata var. cetrariiformis is characterised by: the dark colour (paler in shade forms), irregular branching, escyphose podetia terminating in a single perforation or subulate, in being Pd− and UV+ white. C. crispata var. crispata has wide, obvious scyphi with shorter, subulate proliferations and more squat, sturdy podetia. The taxon is discussed in detail in Stenroos (1988a: 125).
