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Cladonia didyma (Fee) Vainio
Southern Soldiers
Federal Protection: No US federal protection
State Protection: No Georgia state protection
Global Rank: G5?
State Rank: SNR
Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: No
SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No
SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No
2025 SGCN Priority Tier:
Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0
Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Roadsides, woodlands, forests, outcrops
Medium green primary thallus of variable squamules, relatively long (compared with Cladonia cristatella), lobed or divided, sometimes sorediate or granular; 1-2+ cm podetia mostly simple, sometimes branched, covered with corticate granules, often grading to isidia & squamules down the stalk; red apothecia or pycnidia at tips sometimes blackening with age; CHEMISTRY: var. didyma K-, KC+ orange; var. vulcanica K+ bright yellow, KC-; FIELD ID possible (to species, at least) with experience, but care should be taken to eliminate similar species
Several Cladonia species also have red “fruit”: see accounts for C. abbreviatula, C. cristatella, C. floerkeana, C. leporina, C. macilenta, C. ravenelii
None
Roadsides, woodlands, forests, outcrops; substrates include a remarkable variety of soil, detritus, moss, wood & bark of conifers & hardwoods (though some slight preference for the former), & silicious rock
Squamulose/fruticose lichenized fungus, photobiont a chlorococcoid alga in genus Trebouxia or Pseudotrebouxia
None
Statewide
Unknown
Fairly common
None
Brodo, I. M. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.
Brodo, I. M. 2016. Keys to lichens of North America: revised and expanded. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.
Esslinger, T. L. 2021. A cumulative checklist for the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada. Version 24. Opuscula Philolichenum 20: 100-394.
Malcolm Hodges
13 May 2022