A brown-green to brown species, with corticate, usually robust and poorly branched podetia, at least partly covered with thick squamules. It is often difficult to distinguish from C. gracilis, which has thinner cortex of the podetia. According to Burgaz et al. (2020), C. macroceras also differs from C. gracilis in having dark bases of dying podetia and white outgrowths of perforations of exposed medulla in the cracked basal parts of the podetia. Molecular data do not unambiguously support C. macroceras (Ahti & Stenroos 2013), so it is still understood based on the morphological concept.
It is mostly an arctic-alpine lichen, found on soil above the upper tree line in central Europe, e.g., on heathlands, screes and glacial cirques. In the Czech Republic, it is rarely reported, its more or less typical forms are scattered in the highest mountain ranges. Several localities have been reported from lower mountain and middle elevations, but the distinction from C. gracilis there is problematic.
Literature: Ahti T. & Stenroos S. (2013): Cladoniaceae. – In: Ahti T., Stenroos S. & Moberg R. [eds], Nordic Lichen Flora 5: 87–89. Burgaz A. R., Ahti T. & Pino-Bodas R. (2020): Mediterranean Cladoniaceae. – Sociedad Española de Liquenología (SEL), Madrid.
taxonomic classification:Ascomycota → Lecanoromycetes → Lecanorales → Cladoniaceae → Cladonia
All records: 94, confirmed 27. One click on a selected square displays particular record(s), including their source(s).