Cladonia amaurocraea

Cladonia amaurocraea, commonly known as the quill lichen, is a species of fruticose lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.

Cladonia amaurocraea
in Wells Gary region, British Columbia
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Fungi
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Lecanoromycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Cladoniaceae
Genus: Cladonia
Species:
C. amaurocraea
Binomial name
Cladonia amaurocraea
(Flörke) Schaer. (1887)
Synonyms[1]
  • Capitularia amaurocraea Flörke (1810)
  • Cladina amaurocraea (Flörke) H.Olivier (1897)

Taxonomy

The lichen was first described scientifically as Capitularia amaurocraea in 1810. It was transferred to the genus Cladonia in 1887.[2] It is commonly known as quill lichen.[3]

Description

The thallus of Cladonia amaurocraea comprises tall (15–100 mm high) and slender podetia that are irregularly or dichotomously branched. These podetia have a smooth, yellowish-green surface that is often mottled with patches of green and white. They either form a pointy tip, or a narrow cup that is either closed or has a narrow opening. The cortex contains usnic acid, while the medulla has barbatic acid.[3]

Habitat and distribution

Cladonia amaurocraea is found in boreal forests, where it typically grows on talus deposits between boulders and on rocky ground. In North America, it is widespread throughout Canada and Alaska.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Synonymy: Cladonia amaurocraea (Flörke) Schaer". Species Fungorum. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
  2. Vainio, E.A. (1887). Monographia Cladoniarum universalis. Pars I. Acta Societatis pro Fauna et Flora Fennica. 4. p. 243.
  3. Brodo, Irwin M.; Sharnoff, Sylvia Duran; Sharnoff, Stephen (2001). Lichens of North America. Yale University Press. p. 237. ISBN 978-0300082494.


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