Primary thallus inexistent in practice, secondary thallus in a small bush 4-6 cm high, formed of more or less entangled branches, without perforations at the angles, slender, slightly erect and sometimes spread out on the ground, relatively flexible, hollow with an internal surface fibrillose. The top of the twigs bears long ramifications terminated by 2, 3 or 4 lightly colored tips containing a colorless jelly. The surface is cottony, very pale yellowish-gray in dry weather, whitish a little greenish with bluish tones in humid weather. Apothecia unknown. C-, K-, KC- or KC + yellow, P-. Species characteristic of sandy or gravelly acidic open environments, wet in winter and dry in summer, where it often comes with other Cladonia species.
Cf. certain forms of Cladonia portentosa with identical chemical reactions and which can come in mixture and especially certain forms of the very poor and dry grounds of Cladonia uncialis subsp. biuncialis also has the same chemical reactions but whose terminal branches are stiffer and shorter and terminate in more colored tips.
N.B. This species is rare and very diversely interpreted by the authors, we present here from the center of France an interpretation which presents the maximum of characters usually attributed to this taxon and also some similar photographs of Brittany localities.
