Cladonia chlorophaea ..... or not?

[JennyS]

On a rotting, moss covered tree stump - initial reaction was Cladonia chlorophaea ..... but with those big basal squamules is it?

[JennyS]

but with those big basal squamules is it?

Ooops, the rest of that sentence should be 'is it C. digitata?'

[AlanS]

Hi Jenny,

Yes, it is Cladonia chlorophaea group, some of which do have large basal squamules. The account in the new lichen flora will (very briefly) list these. I suspect this is not C. chlorophaea in the strict sense, but it would be silly of me to start speculating. These satellite species should really be treated as subspecies of C. chlorophaea in any case.

Alan

[JennyS]

Thanks Alan, and what a relief that the new Lichen Flora is just about to be finally published, and that at least Cladonia's won't suffer from name changes!