Cladonia coccifera (L.) Willd

    Primary thallus formed of small squamules 2-4 mm high and 3-4 mm wide with a rounded apex, upper surface yellowish-green, greenish-grey, lower surface whitish to pale ochre or pale brownish towards the base. Podetions regular, erect, ending in a funnel-shaped cup (scypha) 1-2 cm high and 0.3-1.5 cm wide, covered towards the base with small corticated plates sometimes mixed with large squamules and towards the top and in the cup with prominent and convex squamules, greyish-green, greyish-yellow, more yellowish if dry. Apothecia sometimes numerous at the margin of the cups, globose up to 3 mm in diameter, bright red. Spores colourless, oblong, 6-12 x 2.5-3.5 µm. Numerous pycnidia, punctiform reddish at the margin of the cups, containing a red gel. Photobiont: Chlorococcales. C-, K-, KC+/- yellow, P-. Uncommon species, hilly or slightly mountainous, growing on stony or sandy soils but rich in organic matter of acidic heathlands, sometimes at the base of trees.

N.B. Polyphyletic species belonging to a group in which we have grouped:

_ Cladonia pleurota which is only sorediate.

_ Cladonia diversa very similar and probably more common but with podetions covered with numerous small flattened granules and microsquamules which is more coastal or oceanic.

_ Cladonia borealis which is alpine and boreal and which has more ochre-yellow tones and whose interior of the cups is sometimes bare.

N.B. All these species, if they do not have a "typical" appearance (which is frequent!), require DNA analysis to be identified (and even then the result is not guaranteed because they are polyphyletic.