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Cladonia humilis
(With.) J.R.Laundon
Primary thallus squamulose, well-developed, the squamules thin, orbicular,
entire or crenate. pale green to pale brown above, white to grey-felted below.
Secondary thallus fruticose, consisting of whitish to grey-brown podetia which
are thicker at the base, simple, gradually expanding to form ca. 4 mm wide,
closed cups, sorediate and sometimes squamulose on the outer sides. Apothecia
and pycnidia brown. Photobiont: chlorococcoid. Chemistry: K+ yellow, C-, KC-
, P+red, UV-. - Rare and localised (Nuwara Eliya), mostly restricted to humid
high elevation forests above 1000 m, on soil.
Cladonia kurokawae
Ahti & S. Stenroos
Primary thallus squamulose; squamules large, lobed, ascending, persistent.
Podetia pale grey, 4-11 mm tall, simple, consisting of a 2-8 mm wide, regular
cup, the inner side granulose, the outer side areolate, corticate, with granules
developing into schizidia. Apotecia and pycnidia brown. Photobiont:
chlorococcoid. Spot-tests: K+ yellow, C-, KC-, P+ orange-red (with atranorin
and fumarprotocetraric acid). - Rare and localised (Nuwara Eliya), mostly
restricted to humid high elevation forests above 1000 m.
Cladonia mauritiana
Ahti & J.C. David
Primary thallus squamulose to subcrustose. Secondary thallus fruticose,
consisting of 1-4 cm tall, whitish grey podetia which are simple to sparingly
branched in the upper part, usually cupless, the tips blunt to acute, with a
corticate basal part and granulose distal parts, covered in small squamules
pointing downwards. Apotecia and pycnidia brown, at the tips of podetia.
Photobiont: chlorococcoid. Spot-tests: K+ reddish brown, C-, KC-, P+ red. -
Rare and localised (Nuwara Eliya), mostly restricted to humid high elevation
forests above 1000 m.
Cladonia phyllopoda
(Vain.) S. Stenroos
Primary thallus squamulose, persistent, upper side of squamules green, lower
side white or orange-white, esorediate. Secondary thallus fruticose, consisting of
pale brown to greenish, sparsely branched podetia; cups narrow (0.5-1.5 mm);
soralia tuberculate, partly epicorticate. Apothecia abundant and conspicuous,
brown. Chemistry; K-, C-. KC-, P+ red. - Only found in one locality (Near
Ohiya road from Horton Plains), at a forest margin in an open sunny habitat, in
a humid high elevation forest above 1200 m.
Cladonia poeciloclada
Abbayes
Primary thallus squamulose, persistent, the squamules to 5 mm long, pale green-
grey to olivaceous green above, white or faintly orange-white below, esorediate.
Secondary thallus fruticose, consisting of pale brownish to greenish, simple to
sparsely branched, to 5 cm tall podetia that may be tapering or with narrow and
wide, deep cups, the cortex smooth and even, forming flat areolae; soredia often
present, farinose to granular. Apothecia and pycnidia brown. Photobiont:
chlorococcoid. Spot-tests: K-, C-, KC-, P+ orange-red. - Rare, mostly restricted
to humid high elevation forests above 1200 m, in sunny open places, on soil
(Horton Plains montane forests).
