Cladonia portentosa, also known as reindeer lichen or the cream cup lichen, is a light-coloured, fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae.
A similar-looking species, also known by the common name "reindeer lichen", is Cladonia rangiferina.
Description Cladonia portentosa forms compact interwoven mats up to 6 cm tall. It is richly branched, each branch usually dividing into three but with the penultimate sometimes dividing into two. The branching is at a larger angle than that of Cladonia rangiferina.Dobson, Frank S., Lichens: An Illustrated Guide to the British and Irish Species, Richmond Publishing, Slough, 5th edn 2005.
Ecology Cladonia portentosa is a known host for the lichenicolous fungus species Lichenopeltella cladoniarum.
Conservation status As of July 2021, its conservation status has not been estimated by the IUCN. In Iceland, its conservation status is denoted as data deficient (DD).
See also List of Cladonia species
Illustrations Gilbert, O. 2004.Gilbert, O. 2007. Lichens Scottish Natural Heritage
References