Cladonia digitata (L.) Hoffm.

    Basal squamules to 1 cm diam., lobes scarcely indented often dominant, spreading ± horizontally, erected and upturned margins, upper surface pale green, pale yellowish green, lower surface pale grey-greenish, farinose-sorediate (clearly visible at margins if upturned), sometimes with a distinct orange tinge (K+ purple). Podetia 0.5-1 cm tall, straight or curved-decumbent, often emerging from squames center, surface entirely farinose-sorediate, green-greyish, apices characterized by irregular, mainly small, narrow, scyphi, base sometimes with small scales and more or less "peeled" top. Apothecia small, rounded and often digitated, in crowns at ends of pointed apices or on short projections from margins of scyphi, red. Pycnidia similar to apothecia but not digitated, red (a carefull observation is required since they are brown when young, and can be confused with species of which apothecia are brown). Photobiont: Trebouxioid. Thallus C-, K + yellow, KC- , Pd+ orange. Rather rare species coming at the base of old more or less rotten trunks in old humid forests. Easily confused with Cladonia polydactyla whose base scales are smaller and more incised and whose underside is not soredate, the latter species also has better-formed sections bordered by digitate growths, but there seem to be "embarrassing" intermediaries.