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''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 nomencla ...
of
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 hornw ...
-like
lichen A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.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. Ideall ...
Cladoniaceae The Cladoniaceae are a family of lichenized fungi in the order Lecanorales. It is one of the largest families of lichen-forming fungi, with about 560 species distributed amongst 17 genera. The reindeer moss and cup lichens (''Cladonia'') belong t ...
. They are the primary food source for reindeer/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 ...
in
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 Swed ...
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-eight ...
.
Antibiotic An antibiotic is a type of antimicrobial substance active against bacteria. It is the most important type of antibacterial agent for fighting bacterial infections, and antibiotic medications are widely used in the treatment and prevention ...
compounds are extracted from some species to create antibiotic cream. The light green species ''
Cladonia stellaris ''Cladonia stellaris'' or the star-tipped cup lichen is an ecologically important species of cup lichen that forms continuous mats over large areas of the ground in boreal and arctic regions around the circumpolar north. The species is a prefe ...
'' 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 mechanis ...
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 spec ...
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 ''Cladonia perforata'' is a rare species of lichen known as Florida perforate cladonia and Florida perforate reindeer lichen. It is endemic to the state of Florida in the United States, where it is known from 16 populations in four widely separat ...
'' ("perforate cladonia") is one of two on the
U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
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, and to th ...
. 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, 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. The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...
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 Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described specie ...
species including '' Chionodes continuella''.


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_caespiticia_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia caespiticia'' Cladonia_coniocraea_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia coniocraea'' – common powderhorn Cladonia convoluta 090308.jpg, '' Cladonia convoluta'' Cladonia cristatella EPA.jpg, '' Cladonia cristatella'' – British soldiers Cladonia_macilenta_9497.JPG, '' Cladonia macilenta'' var. ''bacillaris'' – lipstick cladonia Cladonia macrophyllodes 109105.jpg, '' Cladonia macrophyllodes'' – large-leaved cladonia Cladonia_grayi_complex_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia grayi'' complex Cladonia_parasitica_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia parasitica'' Cladonia_peziziformis_(ECU).jpg, '' Cladonia peziziformis'' Cladonia_pleurota_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia pleurota'' – red-fruited pixie cup Cladonia_subcariosa_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia subcariosa'' Cladonia_subtenuis_(EU).jpg, '' Cladonia subtenuis''


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