Cladonia confusa

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Cladonia confusa
Cladonia confusa - Richard Littauer - 465851841.jpeg
C. confusa in Nelson Lakes National Park
Status 2019 NZTCS NT.svg
Not Threatened (NZ TCS) [1]
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Cladoniaceae
Genus: Cladonia
Species:
C. confusa
Binomial name
Cladonia confusa

Cladonia confusa is a species of lichen, native to and found in New Zealand, Australia, Africa and South America. [2] It is one of many species of the genus Cladonia , collectively often referred to as fuzzy reindeer lichen. The species was described by Rolf Santesson in 1942.

Contents

Description

The yellow and green podetia form cushiony clumps up to15 cm tall. [3] The branches may be isotomous (of equal length) or sometimes anisotomous (unequal). [2] The trichotomous branches have perforate axils. The apothecia are terminal, brown, and convex. The surface is arachnoid, cobwebby, or cottony. [4] [5] [6] The primary thallus is evanescent. [6]

This species is known to contain usnic, perlatolic, and sometimes ursolic acids. [2]

Range

In New Zealand, it is known from across both the North and South Island. It is also found on the Three Kings Islands. It is one of the most common lichens in the neotropics. [4] It is found in Tasmania and South Australia, as well as on Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island. [5] It has also been found on the island of Réunion. [7]

Habitat

This lichen is terricolous, meaning that it can be found growing directly on soil, as opposed to on rocks or trees. [8] In New Zealand, it is found from sea level to around 2000 m in elevation. It is found in heathland there, sometimes with Leptospermum and Dracophyllum . [4]

Etymology

Confusa means "mixed" in Latin, not "confused". [9]

Taxonomy

Cladonia confusa has been said to contain the following forms:

but these are better considered simply chemodemes, [11] populations within a species that have slightly different chemical compositions, but are ultimately not taxonomically distinct. [12]

While specimens of C. confusa were collected and sent to J.D. Hooker at Kew Gardens by Charles Knight as early as September 24, 1888, [13] the species was not described until 1942 by Rolf Santesson. [14]

References

  1. ↑ "NZTCS". nztcs.org.nz. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 Ruoss, E.; Ahti, T. (January 1989). "Systematics of Some Reindeer Lichens (Cladonia Subg. Cladina) in the Southern Hemisphere". The Lichenologist. 21 (1): 29–44. doi:10.1017/S0024282989000058. ISSN   1096-1135.
  3. ↑ Galloway, David J (1985). Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Government Printer, Wellington. ISBN   0-477-01266-3.
  4. 1 2 3 "Cladonia confusa - Flora of New Zealand Series". Flora of New Zealand Series. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Cladonia confusa conf". www.anbg.gov.au. Archived from the original on 23 January 2025. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  6. 1 2 "Cladonia confusa R.Sant. - Biota of NZ". Biota of New Zealand. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  7. ↑ Boom, Pieter P. G. van den; Brand, Maarten; Ertz, Damien; Kalb, Klaus; Magain, Nicolas; Masson, Didier; Schiefelbein, Ulf; Sipman, Harrie J. M.; Sérusiaux, Emmanuël (December 2011). "Discovering the Lichen Diversity of a Remote Tropical Island: Working List of Species Collected on Reunion (Mascarene Archipelago, Indian Ocean)". Herzogia. 24 (2): 325–349. doi:10.13158/heia.24.2.2011.325. ISSN   0018-0971.
  8. ↑ "Cladonia confusa". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  9. ↑ "Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, confūsus". www.perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Cladonia confusa (Fuzzy Reindeer Lichen)". iNaturalist. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  11. ↑ Galloway, David J (2007). Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Volume 2 (2 ed.). Lincoln, New Zealand: Manaaki Whenua Press, Landcare Research. ISBN   0-478-09376-4.
  12. ↑ Bungartz, Frank. "Consortium of Lichen HerbariaGlossary Term Information". lichenportal.org. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
  13. ↑ Galloway, D.J. (2013). A man tenax propositi: transcriptions of letters from Charles Knight to William Jackson Hooker and Joseph Dalton Hooker between 1852 and 1883. Geoscience Society of New Zealand miscellaneous publication 133J. ISBN   978-1-877480-36-2.
  14. ↑ "Cladonia confusa R. Sant. | Colombian Fungi made accessible". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 9 October 2025.
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