Cladonia polydactyla (Flörke) Spreng. var. polydactyla

    Primary thallus made of basal squamules small, incised, occasionally ± thinly sorediate below, greyish-green, pale gray, pale greenish-gray sometimes with so old orange tones, whitish underside a little mealy with soredia. Podetia erected, 1-3 cm tall, pale grey to whitish or greenish grey, entirely farinose to coarsely granular-sorediate and mixed with squamules which are particularly frequent near the base, topped by (only on well-developed specimen) small scyphi, ± dentate or digitate. Apothecia very small, at apices of podetia or indented scyphi margins, bright red. Photobiont: trebouxioide. Thallus : C-, K+ golden yellow, KC-, Pd+ orange. On rotting wood, also on soil and amongst mosses in woodlands and heathlands. This species is difficult to separate from Cladonia macilenta that has no scyphus at apices of podetia, Cladonia glauca which has podetions which are generally fissured or furrowed over their entire length and Cladonia digitata whose primary thallus scales are larger, less indented and very sorediate on the underside and at the margin. See Cladonia polydactyla var. umbricola which is C-, K-, KC-, P-, UV + white.