Cladonia cornuta (L.) Hoffm. ssp. cornuta

Data Set Maintenance: Data set standard item. Data set author(s): Brodo I. & Ahti T. (96-12-10). Data set to be published after submission; 96-12-10.

Nomenclature: Current taxonomic status: accepted. Taxonomic rank: species. Cladonia. Cladoniaceae Zenker (1827).

Taxonomic Literature: Taxonomic notes: rare on QCI; close to subsp. groenlandica which is paler and almost always has distinct cups and some granular soredia, and has large, persistent primary squamules; subsp. cornuta has a blackened base and almost always lacks primary squamules. Brodo I.M. & Ahti T., Can. J. Bot. 74: 1147-1180 (1996).

Ecology: Terricolous or lignicolous; growing sun-exposed or partially shaded.

Thallus: Crustose, squamulose; lobes horizontal; branches loosely aggregated, scattered, clustered, or densely aggregated; separate thallus parts 2-3 mm long; 2-5 mm wide. Primary Thallus: Evanescent or rarely persistent. Secondary Thallus: Present, arising from center of the primary thallus, of indeterminate or of determinate growth; stipe 25-40 mm high, 1-2.2 mm wide, lime green, olive, or brown (shiny brown to olive-brown (95), or greyish yellowish green (122) when shaded, the decorticate parts becoming brown (77, 74-75)), tainted brown, corticate (over the greater part of the podetia), with intact wall. Thallus Outline: Margin crenulate. Upper Surface: Olive or brown (medium olive-brown (95) to yellow brown (74-75)), smooth (where corticate); not sorediate. Lower Surface: White.

Lower Cortex: Absent.

Ascocarps: Forming along the margin of scyphi, sparse. Disk: Brown.

Secondary Metabolites: Fumarprotocetraric acid or protocetraric acid, of the following substance class(es): ß-orcinol depsidones.

Spot Tests: Upper surface: K – (negative) (or brownish), C –, PD + red.

(report generated 15.Nov.2007)