Cladonia symphycarpa (Flörke) Fr. s.l.

   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. On calcareous or alkaline soils, rare in our prospection areas, nevetheless found on calcareous dunes and in rare calcareous or slightly acidic areas.

7 known chemotypes:

Chemotype I: C-, K+ Yellow → red, KC-, P+ yellow, UV-. Atranorin, norstictic acid, connorstictic acid.

Chemotype II: C-, K+ Yellow → red, KC-, P+ yellow, UV-. Atranorin, bourgeanic acid, norstitic acid.

Chemotype III: C-, K+ yellow, KC-, P+ yellow, UV-. Atranorin, psoromic acid.

Chemotype IV: C-, K+ yellow, KC-, P-, UV-. Atranorin, rangiformic acid.

Chemotype V: C-, K+ yellow, KC-, P+ red, UV-. Atranorin, fumarprotocetraric acid, rangiformic acid.

Chemotype VI: C-, K+ Yellow → red, P+ red, UV-. Atranorine, fumarprotocetraric acid, norstictic acid, rangiformic acid.

Chemotype VII: C-, K+ Yellow → red, KC-, P+ red, UV-. Fumarprotocetraric acid, norstictic acid, rangiformic acid. the most frequent being chemotype I.

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

_  See Cladonia subcervicornis common on acidic soils but with more blue-green colorations and with the margin of the lobes more or less incised.