Cladonia symphycarpa (Flörke) Fr.

   Primary thallus well developed, persitent, in dense cushions, made of large squamules 2-4 mm long and 3-8 mm wide, thick and with a rounded, upturned top, intertwined in dense tufts, upper surface pale grey-greenish, more brownish at the top of the squamules, lower surface almost pure white distantly visible by the rolled up margin. Podetia usually absent or very rare, distorded (no trumpet-like nor scyphus) with brown apothecia in bunch at tips. Pycnidia, brown-dark, frequent. Photobiont : trebouxioide. 7 known chemotypes, the most common being: C-, K+ dark yellow after red, KC-, P+ yellow-orange. On calcareous or alkaline soils, rare in our prospection areas, nevetheless found on calcareous dunes and in a few calcareous zones. N.B. Very often in moss.

_ See Cladonia cervicornis, common on acid soils, with lower surface of squamules grey-lilac.