Thallus: podetia 3-6 cm tall, grey-white, lacking green coloration (see var. tenuis) due to the absence of usnic acid, the upper part often suffused with a distinct purple-brown colour towards the tips, richly-branched; terminal branches ± downturned, distinctly orientated in one direction, the branching predominantly dichotomous at the apices, axils rarely perforated; young tips slender, to 0.8 mm diam.
Anamorph: conidiomata pycnidia, with red jelly-like contents.
Teleomorph: ascomata apothecia, brown, inconspicuous, rather rare.
Chemistry: thallus C–, K–, KC–, Pd+ red, UV– (fumarprotocetraric acid).
Assessed by Woods & Coppins (2012) as of Least Concern.
Cladonia ciliata differs from C. rangiferina in the predominantly dichotomous terminal branching, much more delicate habit, smooth not cottony-arachnoid surface, red pycnidial jelly and chemistry. C. ciliata var. tenuis, with usnic acid, is very variable. The podetia are greenish grey to yellowish (usnic acid). Large, coarse specimens of var. tenuis with terminal branches not strongly orientated may resemble C. portentosa which is, however, KC+ yellow, Pd–, UV+ pale blue; C. arbuscula is always coarser with a strongly emphasized orientation of the terminal branchlets and has tri- and tetrachotomous branching. C. ciliata var. ciliata, without usnic acid, is less frequent than var. tenuis though their distributions and habitat requirements are similar.
Throughout the British Isles in unpolluted areas, especially in the west. BLS map here.
On montane and lowland heathlands, woodland and acid dunes.