in David & Hawksworth, Bibliotheca Lichenol. 57: 94 (1995).
Protolog: Thallus primarius squamulosus, inconspicuus. Podetia albido-cinerascentia, 0.4-1.2 cm alta, 0.4-1 mm crassa; initio ascypha, tandem scyphas terminales angustissimas formantia; basi corticata sed pro parte maxima dense microsquamulis deorsum curvatis obtecta. Acidum fumaroprotocetraricum continens.
Protolog type data: Type: Mauritius: Black river, east of Chamaret, on soil by road, 16 June 1990, D. L. Hawksworth (IMI 400678 - holotype, H - isotype).
Type locality: Republic of Mauritius, Mauritius, Black river, east of Chamarel ["Chamaret"], on soil by road, 300 m, 16 June 1990, D. L. Hawksworth (IMI 400678 - holotype; H - isotype).
Type locality coordinates: Data lacking.
Molecular barcode: Data lacking.
Thallus: Primary thallus consisting of squamules which are largely subcrustose, less than 0.5 µm wide, but some squamules larger, up to 2 x 1.5 mm; soft in structure, floccose below. Podetia whitish grey, 0.4-1.2 cm tall, 0.4-1 mm thick, unbranched, blunt, at first ascyphose but soon becoming tipped with very narrow scyphi, 0.2-1 mm in diam.; surface of the lower third rather smoothly areolate-corticate, the upper parts densely beset with elongate (up to 1 mm long), narrow, subterete microsquamules, which point downwards; esorediate but granulose in part. Podetial wall up to 120 µm thick, with cortex 10-15 µm, medulla 30 µm and cartilaginous stereome 70-90 µm; inner surface of central cavity minutely papillose and striate. Neither conidiomata nor mature hymenial discs were seen but the type material bears numerous pale brown primordia of hymenia at tips of podetia. Spiny hyphae projecting from the primordia were also observed; they apparently represent trichogynes (David & Hawksworth 1995: 94).
Photobiont: Green alga.
Chemistry: Pd+ orange red, K+ yellow to red; fumarprotocetraric acid (major), protocetraric acid (minor) and confumarprotocetraric acid (= Cph-2; monor) (David & Hawksworth 1995: 95).
Ecology: Growing on damp soil by the side of the road on a steep mountainside at about 300 m, c. 5 km from the sea (David & Hawksworth 1995: 94).
Distribution Type: Described as endemic species from Mauritius Island, but consequently mentioned from Comoro Island, Madagascar, Azores, St. Helena, Malaysia, India (five units), Réunion, South Africa, Seychelles, Thailand, Philippines by Rai et al. (2014), Ahti et al. (2002) and Awasthi & Ahti (2007) .
Taxonomy: "This species belongs to sect. Cladonia, being apparently close to some South American species, such as C. furfuracea Vain., which produces wider scyphi and has even narrower, isidioid podetial squamules, and C. ochracea L. Scriba, which has wider, lacinulate podetial squamules and a tendency to produce phyllopodial podetia. None of the species of East Africa, as recognized by Swinscow and Krog (1988) and Ahti and Aptroot (1992) seem to match C. mauritiana. Although based on limited material, this species is so distinctive in its regularly densely squamulose podetia and unusually narrow scyphi that it is here described as new" (David & Hawksworth 1995: 95).
Note: The correct name of the village mentioned in the protologue is "Chamarel", not "Chamaret".