#pixie cups

Cladonia fimbriata

Trumpet lichen

Here she is y'all, the big one, the most classic of all classic lichens, the quintessential Cladonia, you know her, you love her, C. fimbriata! *tiny fanfare emits out of these tiny little lichen trumpets* This gorgeous creature can be found growing on wood and organic soil in mossy or disturbed areas in both suburban and woodland environments. It isn't as picky about growing conditions as some of the other Cladonias, so long as its got a little shade and enough water, it can be found in suburban environments, woodlands, heaths, dunes, and even tundra worldwide. Here's a picture I snapped of one recently growing on a garden fence in Iceland:

You can recognize C. fimbriata by its abundant, farinose soredia on the basal squamules and on the tall, thin podetial stalks topped by trumpet-shaped scyphi (cups).

images: source | source | source | source

British Soldiers is a Colorful Cup Lichen that Grows on Trees shows readers a specimen of this beautiful lichen. It explains what attracted the author/artist to it, and gives some basic facts about the lichen.

Pixie Cups Lichens, which are made up of a fungus and an algae, are found all over the world, from the coldest habitats to the warmest. Many of the are also very attractive, like this British soldiers lichen (Cladonia cristatella) that I found laying on my front porch last seek. Cup lichens are members of the Cladoniaceae family and are also sometimes called pixie cups. This particular cup…