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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: Mostly moist hardwood forests and swamps

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Description

Olive-green to brown primary thallus made up of small squamules usually tightly arranged in a convex ball or oval (undersides tan to white) 2-5 cm across; thalli often become detached and vagrant; over soil, can form mats not resembling olives; podetia infrequent, 1-3 cm tall, irregular and sometimes conjoined, thickly branching, with small brown apothecia at tips; CHEMISTRY: thallus K-, KC+ & C+ turquoise (strepsilin), occasionally UV+ yellow (baeomycesic acid); FIELD ID possible for classic thalli with small squamules on open rock, but specimens in shade with larger squamules may require chemical tests

Similar Species

Cladonia mateocyatha has larger ruffled brown squamules; C. robbinsii has slightly larger squamules and a consistently yellowish cast; C. petrophila & C. stipitata can become mounded; none of those species is C+ or KC+ turquoise

Related Rare Species

None

Habitat

Mostly moist hardwood forests & swamps; substrates: 51% soil, 39% silicious rock, most of the rest shallow soil over silicious rock; 1 record on moss over rock

Life History

Terricolous & saxicolous squamulose/fruticose lichenized fungus, photobiont a chlorococcoid alga in genus Trebouxia or Pseudotrebouxia

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Statewide

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Common, locally abundant

Conservation Management Recommendations

None

References

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.

Authors of Account

Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

13 May 2022