Cladonia dimorpha #

Taxon #

Cladonia dimorpha

Organization #

Clade Cladonia, Subclade Ascyphiferae (Stenroos et al. 2018)

Identification #

This species resembles the much more common C. cariosa. In that species, however, there are fissures of the podetia which are found extending to their bases. These fissures are absent in C. dimorpha although it still may have small perforations. C. dimorpha attaches to substrate via a much slenderer base of the podetia and the apothecia (when present) are abundant as in C. cariosa but are smaller at maturity. In Alaska at least, C. cariosa appears much less conspicuously stipitate than C. dimorpha although more specimens of each need to be examined to find if this trend holds.

Substrate #

Some records of being muscicolous, directly on soil, or at the bases of trees. The specimen from Lutak was lignicolous at the base of a coniferous stump.

Chemical Tests #

K-, C-, KC-, Pd+, UV- (CLH)

Notes #

A very data deficient species in Alaska. It has been found a couple times from the Alaka Range (James Walton 2004) and once from SE Alaska near Lutak (Villumsen). There are similarly few records from British Columbia suggesting the species may be rare at more northern latitudes in Western North America.