Cladonia portentosa

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Cladonia portentosa
Cladina portentosa 5510.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Cladoniaceae
Genus: Cladonia
Species:
C. portentosa
Binomial name
Cladonia portentosa
(Dufour) Coem. (1865)

Cladonia portentosa, also known as reindeer lichen or the cream cup lichen, [1] is a light-coloured, fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.

Contents

A similar-looking species, also known by the common name "reindeer lichen", is Cladonia rangiferina .

Description

Cladonia portentosa forms compact interwoven mats up to 6 cm tall. It is richly branched, each branch usually dividing into three but with the penultimate sometimes dividing into two. The branching is at a larger angle than that of Cladonia rangiferina . [2]

Conservation status

As of July 2021, its conservation status has not been estimated by the IUCN. In Iceland, its conservation status is denoted as data deficient (DD). [3]

See also

Illustrations

Gilbert, O. 2004. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Cladonia rangiferina</i> Lichen, sometimes called reindeer lichen

Cladonia rangiferina, also known as reindeer cup lichen, reindeer lichen or grey reindeer lichen, is a light-coloured fruticose, cup lichen species in the family Cladoniaceae. It grows in both hot and cold climates in well-drained, open environments. Found primarily in areas of alpine tundra, it is extremely cold-hardy.

<i>Cladonia</i> Genus of lichenised fungi in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia is a genus of moss-like lichenized fungi in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. Cladonia species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets in Russia. Antibiotic compounds are extracted from some species to create antibiotic cream. The light green species Cladonia stellaris is used in flower decorations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cladoniaceae</span> Family of lichens

The Cladoniaceae are a family of lichen-forming fungi in the order Lecanorales, comprising about 560 species distributed amongst 18 genera. This family is one of the largest among lichen-forming fungi and is globally distributed, from Arctic tundra to tropical rainforests, favouring humid environments while being intolerant of arid conditions. Molecular phylogenetics has significantly advanced the understanding of their complex taxonomic history, revealing intricate evolutionary relationships and leading to a refined classification. Notable members include reindeer moss and cup lichens of the genus Cladonia, which consist of about 500 species and forms a significant part of the diet for large mammals in taiga and tundra ecosystems.

<i>Cladonia fimbriata</i> Species of fungus

Cladonia fimbriata or the trumpet cup lichen is a species cup lichen belonging to the family Cladoniaceae.

<i>Cladonia perforata</i> Species of fungus

Cladonia perforata is a rare species of lichen known as Florida perforate cladonia and Florida perforate reindeer lichen. It is endemic to the state of Florida in the United States, where it is known from 16 populations in four widely separated areas of the state. It is native to a very specific type of Florida scrub habitat which is increasingly rare and patchy due to habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation. In 1993 this was the first species of lichen to be federally listed as an endangered species of the United States.

<i>Cladonia stellaris</i> Species of lichen in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia stellaris or the star-tipped cup lichen is an ecologically important species of cup lichen that forms continuous mats over large areas of the ground in boreal and arctic regions around the circumpolar north. The species is a preferred food source of reindeer and caribou during the winter months, and it has an important role in regulating nutrient cycling and soil microbiological communities. Like many other lichens, Cladonia stellaris is used by humans directly for its chemical properties, as many of the secondary metabolites are antimicrobial, but it also has the unique distinction of being harvested and sold as 'fake trees' for model train displays. It is also used as a sound absorber in interior design. The fungal portion of Cladonia stellaris, known as a mycobiont, protects the lichen from lichenivores, superfluous solar radiation, and other kinds of stressors in their ecosystem.

<i>Ramalina siliquosa</i> Species of lichenised fungi in the family Ramalinaceae

Ramalina siliquosa, also known as sea ivory, is a tufted and branched lichen which is widely found on siliceous rocks and stone walls on coastlands round the British Isles, occasionally slightly inland. It grows well above the high-tide mark but is still very tolerant of salt spray. The branches are flattened and grey, and bear disc-like spore-producing bodies. It forms part of the diet of sheep in Shetland and on the coast of North Wales. It is found in Iceland where it has a conservation status of a vulnerable species.

The Laval River Rare Forest is a protected area of rare forest in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec, Canada. It is classified as an exceptional forest ecosystem.

<i>Cladonia parasitica</i> Species of lichenised fungus in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia parasitica, commonly known as the fence-rail cladonia, fence-rail cup lichen or parasite club lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Hoffmann in 1784 under the name Lichen parasiticus, until he reclassified it under the genus Cladonia in 1795.

<i>Umbilicaria polyphylla</i> Species of lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae

Umbilicaria polyphylla, commonly known as petaled rock tripe, is a widely distributed species of saxicolous lichen in the family Umbilicariaceae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1753 work Species Plantarum as Lichen polyphyllus. German botanist Johann Christian Gottlob Baumgarten transferred it to the genus Umbilicaria in 1790. The lichen has a dark brown to black thallus that measures 2–6 cm (0.8–2.4 in) in diameter. The upper surface is smooth, while the lower surface is sooty black. It grows on exposed rocks, typically in arctic-alpine habitats.

<i>Stereocaulon paschale</i> Species of lichen

Stereocaulon paschale is a species of lichen belonging to the family Stereocaulaceae.

Bryoria implexa is a species of horsehair lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.

<i>Cladonia deformis</i> Species of lichen in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia deformis, also known as the lesser sulphur cup or the lesser sulphur cup lichen, is a light-coloured, fruticose, cup lichen belonging to the family Cladoniaceae. This lichen was first described as Lichen deformis by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, and transferred to the genus Cladonia in 1796 by Georg Franz Hoffmann.

<i>Cladonia coniocraea</i> Species of lichenised fungus in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia coniocraea, commonly known as the common powderhorn or the powderhorn cup lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Heinrich Gustav Flörke in 1821 under the name Cenomyce coniocraea, until Kurt Polycarp Joachim Sprengel reclassified it under the genus Cladonia in 1827.

<i>Cladonia macilenta</i> Species of lichen

Cladonia macilenta or the lipstick cup lichen is a species of cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.

<i>Cladonia strepsilis</i> Species of lichen

Cladonia strepsilis or the olive cup lichen is a species of cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. In Iceland, where it is only found in a few locations in the Eastern Region, it is red listed as endangered (EN).

<i>Lichenoconium pyxidatae</i> Species of fungus

Lichenoconium pyxidatae is a species of lichenicolous fungus belonging to the class Dothideomycetes. It has a Holarctic distribution being found in Alaska and various parts of Russia, including Siberia, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya and Wrangel Island.

<i>Cladonia sulphurina</i> Species of lichenised fungus in the family Cladoniaceae

Cladonia sulphurina is a species of cup lichen belonging to the family Cladoniaceae.

Cladonia homosekikaica is a species of cup lichen belonging to the family Cladoniaceae. It was formally described as a new species by Japanese lichenologist Mariko Nuno in 1975.

<i>Bryoria fuscescens</i> Species of lichen

Bryoria fuscescens is a species of lichen of the family Parmeliaceae.

References

  1. "Standardized Common Names for Wild Species in Canada". National General Status Working Group. 2020.
  2. Dobson, Frank S., Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to the British and Irish Species, Richmond Publishing, Slough, 5th edn 2005.
  3. Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands [Icelandic Institute of Natural History] (1996). Válisti 1: Plöntur. (in Icelandic) Reykjavík: Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands.
  4. Gilbert, O. 2007. Lichens Scottish Natural Heritage ISBN   1-85397-373-4