Cladonia phyllophora Hoffm.

    Primary thallus scaly, more or less persistent, formed of small, upright scales of 2-4 mm, upper surface gray-green, yellowish-green, lower surface whitish. Podetions 1-5 cm high, hollow and sometimes fissured or split, surface aerolate and more or less arachnoid with decorticated areas, green when wet, gray-greenish, gray when dry, base becoming blackish and typically black and dotted with black in a network with age, medulla frequently necrotic and grayish. The podetions frequently bear small scales and are terminated by a scyphus with scales at the margin and misshapen, upright proliferations that can give a new scyphus in stages. Apothecia rounded, rare, brown, at the margin of the scyphus; pycnidia numerous, blackish, also at the margin of the scyphus. C-, K-, KC-, Pd+ orange to red. Boreal species (alpine in Europe) found in ground mosses in arctic forests.

_ In the lowlands, see: Cladonia ramulosa morpho phyllophora, much more slender and sorediate.