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 closely related taxon, which has just been proven to be conspecific and represents a simple form, this taxon has longer podetions, almost all ending in a narrow cup, corticate at the base and very sorediate at the top with decorticate areas.