Cladonia ramulosa (With.) J. R. Laundon

    Primary thallus limited to a few squamules, upper surface greenish, grey-green, whitish below. Podetia highly variable, erect, forming tufts or cushions, up to 3 cm tall, more or less distorted, sometimes branched or ended by an irregular scyphus, center not perforate, with elongate or short digitate excrescences, base squamulose or granulose, greenish-yellowish, grey-greenish and greyish when dry. Apothecia numerous, clustered at scyphi tips, brownish, more or less translucent when moist. Ascospores elongate, sometimes 'banana-shaped', 12-16 x 3-5 µm. Photobiont: Trebouxioid. Thallus : C-, K-, KC-, Pd+ red, UV-. Not frequent in our prospection area, coastal trends, preferably on acid grounds at Armeria maritima tufts level, also on gravel and sandy grounds near the coast or inland. N.B. An extraordinarily variable species which has given rise to the description of many varieties and forms, some of which are only known to their author ...