Cladonia luteoalba #

Taxon #

Cladonia luteoalba

Organization #

Clade Erythrocarpae, Subclade Subglaucescentes (as C. coccifera Stenroos et al. 2018)

Identification #

This mysterious lichen has been shown to be a form of C. straminea (Černajová al. 2022, Spribille et al. 2023). Why this form diverges so much from the typical C. straminea is has not been fully elucidated. We include this form in this guide as it is conspicuous in the field, and we encourage more records and collections. This form has unusually large, bright yellow primary squamules which are abundantly sorediate and is without podetia. The squamules become so curled and upturned that the ventral surface often engulfs the dorsal surface.

Substrate #

terricolous, lichenicolous

Černajová I, Steinová J, Škvorová Z, Škaloud P. The curious case of Cladonia luteoalba #

no support for its distinction. The Lichenologist. 2022;54(6):345-354. doi:10.1017/S002428292200024X

Photos #