Bot. Helv. 95: 241 (1985).

Basionym: Cladonia rangiferina f. stygia Fr., Sched. Crit. Lich. Suec. 8-9: 22 (1826).

Type: "Sweden, Småland, in bogs (no original material found in UPS, but the original description perfectly unambiguous)" (Ahti & Hyvönen 1985: 225)

Type locality: Sweden, Södermanland, St. Malm [Stora Malm ?], Sörgölet (Slängböcksmossen), in sphagneto, 1918, G. A. O. Malme, Malme: Lich. Suec. Exs. 726 (H - neotype; UPS - isoneotype).

Type locality coordinates: 58°58'3"N, 16°21'39"E; 58.9675°, 16.360833°.

Barcode: Data lacking.

Thallus: Vegetative thallus granulose, grey. Podetia c. 5-15(30) cm tall, living portion up to c. 10 cm, ash-grey to (especially in wet condition!) olive grey; necrotic stereome (cartilaginous inner skeletal cylinder) turning coal-black, the dark tissue extending high up on the podetia under the light-coloured surface layer; exposed apical branches usually strongly embrowned; branching often more divaricate and less regular than in C. rangiferina, being dominated by anisotomic tetrachotomy and trichotomy, but dichotomies also common; the main stems distinct, 1.2-2 mm.

Photobiont: Data lacking.

Chemistry: "Pd+ fast red, K+ pale yellow; contains fumarprotocetraric acid and atranorin (rarely absent) as major components, protocetraric acid and unknown Cph-2 (see Culberson et al. 1981) as minor components. The strong blackening of the dead stereome and other parts can be ascribed to the production of melanins similar to those reported for many non-lichenized ascomycetes (cf. Wheeler 1983)" (Ahti & Hyvönen 1985: 225). "Atranorin, fumarprotocetraric acid, protocetraric acid, Cph-2, traces of unidentified substances" (Ruoss & Ahti 1989: 39).

Ecology: "Cladonia rangiferina is known to grow in a variety of habitats, especially in the boreal zone, its optimal area....(Ahti & Hyvönen 1985: 223).

Molecular data: Genbank

Distribution: Database

Molecular data: Genbank

Mycobank: Mycobank

Note:

Pictures: Tropical Lichens