Cladonia uncialis (L.) F.H. Wigg. subsp. biuncialis (Hoffm.) M. Choisy

    Primary thallus made of small squamules disappearing soon. Podetia up to 5 cm tall, forming short cushions, spiny when dry, branchlets easily breakable, hollow, white powdery towards the tip, divergent, branching mostly dichotomous, axils mostly perforate, terminal branchlets apices sharply pointed, 2-3-4 furcate, brown-pinkish, yellow-greenish, grey-greenish at tips, as a whole the podetia are pale yellow, whitish to pale greenish. Apothecia very rare, terminal, brown. Pycnidia very rare. Photobiont : trebouxioide. Thallus: C-, K-, KC+ pale yellow, Pd-. Not especially maritime but not rare in coastal aerohaline heathlands (often with Cladonia portentosa). N.B. Broken podetia resembles macaronis. N.B. Two taxa, with different rankings (morph or var. or subsp.), have been described; here we have chosen the subsp. ranking despite our hesitancy since many intermediate morphs between  Cladonia uncialis subsp. uncialis and Cladonia uncialis subsp. biuncialis exist, (N.B. many modern authors do not distinguish between the two subspecies !). Cladonia zopfii is another probably confused and close taxon, diversely analysed according to authors, growing also on acid heathlands, it differs by its more yellowish coloring, the more slender branches, surface cottony, matt, chemical spot tests negative.*