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Federal Protection: No US federal protection

State Protection: No Georgia state protection

Global Rank: G4G5

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: None

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Soil, rocks and roadsides

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Description

Pale green-gray thallus composed entirely of many-branched podetia; branches forking away from one another in dichotamies, with closed (unperforated) axils, forming even, rounded clumps up to 30 cm across & 15 cm high; branches tipped with brownish pycnidia & rarely tiny brown apothecia; CHEMISTRY: thallus K-, KC+ gold, PD+ red, UV- (usnic & fumarprotocetraric acids); FIELD ID: undisturbed thalli with uniform profile, pale green color & spreading, dichotomous branch tips are relatively simple to ID; within range of C. sandstedei, damaged thalli may require a K test

Similar Species

Cladonia rangiferina (thallus K+ yellow) is gray-white with branch tips curling over; C. sandstedei (K+ yellow) is also gray-white, with a less even, coarser surface (tufted); C. evansii (thallus UV+ blue-white) is whitish, with much smaller, finer branching creating groups of small, dense tufts; Cladonia furcata prefers shade, is greener (or browner in sunnier sites), usually less dense, with sometimes long branch tips, & has squamules on lower branches

Related Rare Species

Cladonia sandstedei

Habitat

Soil, rocks & roadsides; substrates: mostly soil, but commonly intermixed with moss or spikemoss on rock outcrops; small thalli sometimes form on wood & bark on ground

Life History

Terricolous fruticose lichenized fungus, photobiont a chlorococcoid alga in genus Trebouxia or Pseudotrebouxia

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Statewide

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

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