An apparently rarer boreal Cetraria species, closely related to C. aculeata, from which it differs mainly in having more rounded and shallower pseudocyphellae; however, the most reliable identification is based on molecular methods (Lutsak et al. 2020). Owing to problematic identification and frequent confusion, its distribution and ecology remain poorly known. It seems to occur in habitats similar to those of C. aculeata but shows an affinity for cold regions. Records from the Czech Republic are largely based on unreliable morphological characters and require revision. So far, the lichen has been reliably confirmed only from Mt Sněžka, where it occurs in terricolous communities of arctic-alpine tundra. An additional, not molecularly verified record comes from the Kozí hřbety ridge (Malíček & Steinová 2025).
Literature: Lutsak T., Fernández-Mendoza F., Kirika P., Wondafrash M. & Printzen C. (2020): Coalescence-based species delimitation using genome-wide data reveals hidden diversity in a cosmopolitan group of lichens. – Organisms Diversity and Evolution 20: 189–218. /// Malíček J. & Steinová J. (2025): Contribution to lichen biota of the Krkonoše Mountains, the highest Czech mountain range. – Herzogia 38: 308–335.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Parmeliaceae → Cetraria
All records: 21, confirmed 5. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).