Cladonia portentosa
Thallus: podetia 4-10 cm tall, grey-green often with a yellowish green tinge, the surface often roughened, areolate particularly towards the base, richly branched. Terminal branches mostly ± erect, not orientated in one direction, forming broccoli-like, rounded heads, the branching predominantly trichotomous at apices, often with perforated axils.
Anamorph: conidiomata pycnidia. Pycnidial jelly hyaline.
Teleomorph: not known.
Chemistry: thallus C–, K–, KC± yellow, Pd–, UV+ pale blue (perlatolic and usually usnic acid).
Assessed by Woods & Coppins (2012) as of Least Concern. This is probably the most common and widespread Cladonia in Britain from subgenus Cladina.
Characterized by the unorientated terminal branches and distinctive chemistry. Very variable, often forming mats of neat tufts amongst low vegetation, sometimes with ± distorted main branches; ± inflated-bloated and grossly modified morphs can occur in boggy situations. The more delicate Cladonia azorica also has ± erect, very thin terminal branches which do not form broccoli-like rounded heads and is Pd+ red. However, the two taxa are not separated in recent work combining phylogenetic and morphological methods (Pino-Bodas et al. 2016).
Throughout the British Isles. BLS map here.
On heathlands, moorlands and dunes, also not uncommon on old leaning and fallen trees.