Description: This is one of Ireland’s rarest and most secretive species and could easily be mistaken for Cladonia furcata in the field. The smooth, green or brown, unbranched stalks (podetia) which support the discs are rather shrivelled and worm-like and entirely solid within with a dense central axis. The thallus is Pd+ red. In Ireland, it tends to be a species of sunny, acid rock faces. In County Kerry it was found at Sybil Head.

Key Identification Features:

• Poorly branched Cladonia furcata lookalike with green to brown worm-like podetia
• Podetia solid; thallus Pd+red; sunny acid rock faces. Coastal.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

Distribution Map from NBN: Cladonia stereoclada at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Cladonia stereoclada at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.