Help with Cladonia, please.

[pleb]

Hi,

Do you think I am on the right track when I say this is probably Cladonia humilis? It was growing on soil on top of a stone wall close to the sea at Trevaunance Cove on Cornwall's north coast yesterday.

The cups contained mostly farinose soredia but there did seem to be some bigger granular soredia as well which confused me.

Any help, advice or suggestions appreciated.

regards,

phil

[pleb]

I think that my inexperience might have led to me misleading people. On second look, the podetia have small granules rather than farinose soredia. I find the distinction hard to make sometimes.

Apologies if I have caused confusion.

phil

[pleb]

Well, if we accept they are small granules, that leads us to Cladonia pocillum or C. pyxidata. Have you ever had that feeling you are talking to yourself.

phil

[diggleken]

Hi Phil,
I talk to myself too about Lichens, especially Cladonia............
Could these maybe C chlorophaea, which can be small granules or granular/sorediate?
Pyxidata and pocillum have large granules as far as I know.
But that aint much with these......................
Cheers
Ken

[pleb]

Hi Ken,

Thanks for your response...I was getting lonely

I have looked at Alan Silverside's notes at Cladonia pyxidata (images of British lichens)

where he talks about the differences between C. pyxidata, C. pocillum and C. monomorpha and where he says 'Confusion of the complex with C. chlorophaea agg. is also all too easy'

So I think I will go out and keep looking for more Cladonia and try to remember that all is not as quite straight forward as I assumed. Thanks for your thoughts on the subject.

cheers,
phil

[AlanS]

I think the original identification as Cladonia humilis is correct.

The basal squamules are typically somewhat larger in C. humilis, but photographs of my own (not yet up on my site) show a range of relative size that easily matches what is here.

Some authors have included C. humilis within the C. chlorophaea complex.

Alan