Cladonia metacorallifera Asahina

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 or basionymous. Taxonomic rank: species. Cladonia. Cladoniaceae Zenker (1827).

Taxonomic Literature: Brodo I.M. & Ahti T., Can. J. Bot. 74: 1147-1180 (1996).

Ecology: Terricolous or bryophytic; growing sun-exposed.

Thallus: Crustose, squamulose; lobes mostly horizontal; rounded at the front; branches densely aggregated, loosely aggregated, or clustered; separate thallus parts.7-2 mm long; .7-2.5 mm wide. Primary Thallus: Persistent. Secondary Thallus: Present, arising from center of the primary thallus, of determinate growth; stipe 10-26 mm high, lime green, homogeneously coloured, corticate (over most of podetium or podetial squamules), with intact wall. Thallus Outline: Margin entire or crenulate (quite thick, somewhat convex). Upper Surface: Verruculose or areolated (to granulose-squamulate), lime green (pale greenish yellow (104-102); maculate); not sorediate. Lower Surface: White or brown (at point of attachment to rhizoid bundle entering substrate).

Lower Cortex: Absent.

Ascocarps: Forming along the margin of scyphi, sparse, .5-3.5 mm in diam.. Disk: Weakly convex or strongly convex (to linear along cup margin); red.

Secondary Metabolites: Didymic acid (sometimes with condidymic acid), squamatic acid, usnic acid, or barbatic acid (sometimes with 4-O-demethylbarbatic acid), of the following substance class(es): ß-orcinol depsides or dibenzofurans [and usnic acids].

Spot Tests: Upper surface: K – (negative), C –, + deep yellow, or + orange, PD –.

UV-Fluorescence: Reaction colour: bright bluish white.

(report generated 15.Nov.2007)