Cladonia coniocraea  (Flörke) Spreng.

    Primary thallus made out of basal squamules, forming a dense persistent mat, large squamules, incised, variable and sometimes sorediate at margin or lower surface; upper surface green-blue, lower surface whitish; Podetia unbranched often curved or torn, 2-4 cm tall, mostly pointed at apices, grey-green, green when wet, mostly like truncated at apices, bearing small, narrow scyphi, inside. predominantly farinose-sorediate, with a persistent corticate zone bearing squamules at the base, green-blue, green-grey. Apothecia small, brown, rare, on tips of podetia. Photobiont : trebouxioide. Thallus C-, K-, KC-, Pd+ rust-red. Common and widespread mainly at the base of trunks on bark of living, or recently dead, trees and wood, less often on acid soils, enriched in wood debris, heathland peaty soils.

N.B. May be confused with young Cladonia macilenta  often sterile and therefore devoid of its red apothecia ( K+ yellow).

N.B. Cladonia ochrochlora is a very close taxon, possibly conspecific (intermediate specimen would exist?) of which the podetia are taller, almost all bearing a narrow scyphus, corticate towards the base and markedly sorediate at tip with uncorticate patches.*