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cup lichen
Scientific Name: Cladonia luteoalba
Family: Cladoniaceae
Category: Lichen
Growth: Lichenous
Duration:
Other Names:
Pixie Cup Lichen: A Miniature Marvel
The world of lichens is often overlooked, but these fascinating organisms play a vital ecological role and offer a unique aesthetic. Among them, the Pixie Cup Lichen stands out with its charming cup-like structures.
Considerations for Pets and Children
- Pixie cup lichens can have small, cup-like structures.
- Some traditional uses involved boiling the lichen with milk or syrup.
Scientific Name and Common Names
- Scientific Name: Cladonia (genus)
- Common Names: Cup Lichen, Pixie Cup Lichen, Pyxie Cup Lichen, Trumpet Lichen, Elf Cup Lichen
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Kingdom: Not explicitly stated, but implied to be part of the Fungi kingdom due to the fungal component of the lichen.
- Family: Cladoniaceae
- The provided text mentions several species, including Cladonia asahinae, Cladonia pyxidata, Cladonia chlorophaea, Cladonia coccifera, Cladonia fimbriata, Cladonia borealis, Cladonia cristatella, Cladonia pityrea, Cladonia monomorpha, Cladonia pocillum, and Cladonia bellidiflora.
- Synonym: Cladonia pyxidata var. pocillum is mentioned as another name for Cladonia pocillum.
Distribution and Habitat
- Pixie cup lichens are often found on the forest floor, typically on logs or at the base of trees.
- They thrive in cooler spaces and exposed subalpine sites with poor soils and fallen logs.
- They are also observed on rock outcrops.
- The text indicates their presence in boreal forests, the Olympic Peninsula (wet lowland), and the Pocono Mountains.
Ecological Role
- Cladonia species are a primary food source for reindeer and caribou.
- The lichen exists as a symbiotic relationship between algae and fungus.
Morphological Characteristics
- Cup lichens have upright fruiting stalks and small cup-like structures.
- The cups are described as tiny (1/2 inch high), funnel-shaped podetia tapering towards the base.
- They are greenish-grey in color.
- The podetia are sometimes described as shaped like "Shrek's Ears" or miniature golf tees.
Quirky Facts
- Some describe the appearance of Pixie Cup Lichen as being sprinkled with light-grey-green "pixie dust."
- Traditionally, when boiled with milk or syrup, the lichen has been used as a remedy for whooping cough and chest ailments.
Interactions with Other Organisms
- They grow on moss, particularly Chorisodontium.
- The text mentions Brachythecium frigidum and Cladonia macilenta growing in a lichen colony alongside Cladonia scales.
Further Information
- The Lichen Society is mentioned as a resource.
- ONH | eugraph is referenced in relation to Cladonia chlorophaea.