About Cladonia squamosa Hoffm.
This species is Cladonia squamosa Hoffm. Its primary thallus is made up of medium-sized, crenate squamules, measuring approximately 1.5–7 mm long and 1–5 mm wide. The upper surface of the squamules ranges from fawn or tan to cinnamon in color, and can vary toward greenish grey. The apothecia are small, with a diameter between 0.5 and 3 mm. They are found on the margins of cups, at the ends of branches, or at the ends of proliferations, and are fawn to cinnamon-colored. Paraphyses are usually simple, sometimes thickened, and brownish toward the apex. The hymenium is pale or pale-brownish below and brownish above. Asci are lecanoralean, with a thickened tholus. There are typically 8 ascospores per ascus. Ascospores are oblong, oblong-obtuse, or fusiform in shape, between 5–17 μm long and 2.5–3.5 μm wide. Conidia are falcate and 3–8 μm long. The species is widely distributed across Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and King George Island in Antarctica. It grows on specific mosses: Chorisodontium aciphyllum, Polytrichum strictum, Andrea gainii, and Sanionia uncinata.
