Cladonia squamosa (Scop.) Hoffm. var. squamosa

    Primary thallus made of basal squamules to 1-2 mm, incised, grey-greenish, often forming small mats usually -but not always- not persistent. Podetia 2-5 cm tall, cream-whitish, pale green to pale grey-green, grey-bluish, markedly and irregularly branched, the apices pointed in all directions, perforate, cortex covered by numerous squamules more or less incised, grey, pale grey-green, whitish below, occasionally decorticate and peeled in some zones while still velvet-like, scyphi often absent or rare and when present perforate, most often distorded and dentate, no soredia. Apothecia quite rare, small, brown, sometimes numerous, at tips of points of scyphi. Photobiont : trebouxioide. Thallus : C-, K-, KC-, Pd-, UV+ bright blue-white.  Common, on well-lit acid soils of heathlands with trees, opened woodlands with rocks and boulders, etc. Two taxa ranking at variety level have been described:

Cladonia squamosa (Scop.) Hoffm. var. squamosa here above described and:

Cladonia squamosa var. subsquamosa (Nyl.) Vain. that  is more robust and more squamulose. Intermediate specimen may exist, but less restricted to forest habitats and mostly: C-, K+ yellow-orange, KC-, Pd+ orange and UV-. This variety is sometimes considered as a chemotype of Cladonia squamosa s.l..

N.B. Cladonia squamosa var. squamosa morph à intérieur brun, occurs in heathlands, very robust with chestnut brown inside scyphae.