''Cladonia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta ('' sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and ...

-like lichens in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for

reindeer Reindeer (in North American English, known as caribou if wild and ''reindeer'' if domesticated) are deer in the genus ''Rangifer''. For the last few decades, reindeer were assigned to one species, ''Rangifer tarandus'', with about 10 subsp ...

/caribou. ''Cladonia''

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the

Sami Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise net ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Swe ...

or the Nenets in

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

Antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting pathogenic bacteria, bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the therapy, ...

compounds are extracted from some species to create antibiotic cream. The light green species '' Cladonia stellaris'' is used in

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

decorations. Although the

phylogeny A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spe ...

of the genus ''Cladonia'' is still under investigation, two main morphological groups are commonly differentiated by taxonomists: the ''Cladonia'' morpho-type and the ''Cladina'' morpho-type. The ''Cladonia'' morpho-type has many more species, and is generally described as a group of squamulose (grow from squamules), cup-bearing lichens. The ''Cladina'' morpho-types are often referred to as forage lichens, mat-forming lichens, or reindeer lichens (due to their importance as caribou winter forage). '' Cladonia perforata'' ("perforate cladonia") is one of two on the U.S. Endangered Species List, and it should never be collected. It exists only in a few small populations in

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...

. Several ''Cladonia'' species grow on sand

dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

s. The presence, and luxuriant carpet-like growth, of ''Cladonia'' species is one of the defining characters of

grey dune Grey dunes are fixed, stable sand dunes that are covered by a continuous layer of herbaceous vegetation. These dunes are typically located 50–100 meters from the ocean shore and are found on the landward side of foredunes (also known as yell ...

, a priority

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

for conservation under the E.U. Habitats Directive. ''Cladonia'' species are used as food plants by the

larva A larva (; plural larvae ) is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle. Th ...

e of some Lepidoptera species including ''

Chionodes continuella ''Chionodes continuella'' is a moth of the family Gelechiidae. It is found from most of Europe (except Ireland, Great Britain, the Iberian Peninsula, Switzerland and most of the Balkan Peninsula), east to Japan. It is also present in most of North ...

''.

Selected species

Selected species of ''Cladonia'' include:Walewski. Joe (2007). ''Lichens of the North Woods.'' Duluth, MN: Kollath+Stensaas Publ.

Gallery

Cladonia_apodocarpa_(EU).jpg, ''

Cladonia apodocarpa ''Cladonia apodocarpa'', also known as the stalkless cladoniais or the stalkless cup lichen, is a species of cup lichen A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also c ...

'' Cladonia_caespiticia_(EU).jpg, ''

Cladonia caespiticia ''Cladonia caespiticia'' is a widespread and common species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was originally named ''Baeomyces caespiticius'' by German mycologist Christiaan Hendrik Persoon in 1794. Heinrich Gustav Flörk ...

'' Cladonia_coniocraea_(EU).jpg, ''

Cladonia coniocraea ''Cladonia coniocraea'', commonly known as the common powderhorn or the powderhorn cup lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Heinrich Gustav Flörke in 1821 under the name ''Cenomyce ...

'' – common powderhorn Cladonia convoluta 090308.jpg, ''

Cladonia convoluta ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets ...

'' Cladonia cristatella EPA.jpg, ''

Cladonia cristatella ''Cladonia cristatella'', commonly known as the British soldiers lichen or the British soldiers cup lichen, is a fruticose, cup lichen belonging to the family Cladoniaceae. The species was first described scientifically by American botanist E ...

'' – British soldiers Cladonia_macilenta_9497.JPG, ''

Cladonia macilenta ''Cladonia macilenta'' or the lipstick cup lichen is a species of cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. The species is red listed in Iceland as an endangered species (EN).Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands celandic Institute of Natural History(1 ...

'' var. ''bacillaris'' – lipstick cladonia Cladonia macrophyllodes 109105.jpg, '' Cladonia macrophyllodes'' – large-leaved cladonia Cladonia_grayi_complex_(EU).jpg, ''

Cladonia grayi ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets ...

'' complex Cladonia_parasitica_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia parasitica'' Cladonia_peziziformis_(ECU).jpg, ''

Cladonia peziziformis ''Cladonia peziziformis'' or the turban cup lichen is a species of cup lichen A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g ...

'' Cladonia_pleurota_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia pleurota'' – red-fruited pixie cup Cladonia_subcariosa_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia subcariosa'' Cladonia_subtenuis_(EU).jpg, ''

Cladonia subtenuis ''Cladonia'' is a genus of moss-like lichens in the family Cladoniaceae. They are the primary food source for reindeer/caribou. ''Cladonia'' species are of economic importance to reindeer-herders, such as the Sami in Scandinavia or the Nenets i ...

References

Anderson, R. (2009). ''Cladonia peziziformis'' (With.) J.R. Laundon (Lecanorales: Cladoniaceae) re-discovered in Co. Down. ''Ir. Nat. J.'' 30: 146. ---- Lecanorales genera Lichen genera Taxa described in 1756 {{Lecanorales-stub