Sample #9: Cladonia cristatella

Name: Cladonia cristatella

Common Name: British Soldier

Family: Cladoniaceae

Collection Date: November 4, 2016

Habitat:  Sample was found growing on a older, wooden fence. 

Location: Brunswick, Ohio

Description: Sample is a squamulose lichen that was found growing on a wood substrate. On the tip of the lichens, a red apothecia can be seen. The podetia 

are a green or gray color. 

Figure 1: Sample of Cladonia cristaella. The lichen sample has a green thallus, and it usually identified by the red apothecia. 

Key Used: Wetmore, C. (n.d.). KEYS TO THE LICHENS OF MINNESOTA. Retrieved November 14, 2016, from http://www.tc.umn.edu/~wetmore/Herbarium/MNKEYS.pdf

Keying Steps:

1b. Thallus some other color, not K+ purple ------------------------------------------------------------ 2

2b. Algae green ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

4a. Thallus or podetia erect; growing on soil, wood, rock and bases of trees ---------------------- 5

5a. Primary thallus squamulose or lacking; podetia hollow ------------------------------------------- 6

6a. Primary thallus squamulose; podetia corticate, usually not much branched (if intricatley branched, then podetia squamulose) ------------------------------------------------------- Cladonia

1a. Podetia present ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2

2b. Podetia not branched or moderately branched or absent; squamules present on podetia or at base; cortex present ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3

3b. Podetia not forming cups, sterile or with apothecia, sometimes branched ------------- 30

30a. Apothecia and pycnidia red ----------------------------------------------------------------- 31

 31a. Podetia and squamules not sorediate; apothecia large ---------------------- C. cristatella