Öst. Bot. Z. 46: 264 (1896).

Basionym: Cladonia carneola var. bacilliformis Nyl., Syn. Meth. Lich. 1: 201 (1860).

Type locality: Finland, Uusimaa, Helsinki (Helsingfors), 1858, W. Nylander s.n. (H - holotype; BM - isotype).

Note: Ahti (1980: 127): "The bibliographic citation of this species is generally erroneously stated. The basionym was published as a nomen nudum in the usually cited publication by Nylander & Saelan (1859). Although the combination at species level is usally credited either to Vainio (1894), who recognized this taxon as a subspecies, to Dalla Torre & Sarntheim (1902), or to Lång (1912), in fact Glück appears to be the first author to have validly published the combination. However, the combination by Glück was included in a list of species possessing submarginal spermogonia, with an overall reference to Vainio's monograph; the combination could consequently perhaps be interpreted to represent an incidental mention in the sense of Art. 34, i.e. an incorrect citation of Vainio (1894) who indicated subspecies with an asterisk. Those who prefer the latter interpretation should cite Dalla Torre & Sarnthein (1902) as the author of the citation".
Ahti (1993: 68) in "Names of current use" cites the authors as C. bacilliformis (Nyl.) Glück, Verh. Naturh.-Med. Vereins Heidelberg, Ser. 2, 6: 97 (1899), followed by Goward (1999: 132).
Ahti & Stenroos (2012: 32) "It has been uncertain who first made this combination. Ahti (1993) suggested that it was Glück (1899), but we have now found that it has been published earlier at least by Sarnthein (1896). This correction was first published by Osyczka (2011) at our suggestion."