Cladina stellaris (Star-tipped reindeer lichen)

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Cladina stellaris (Opiz) Brodo

Star-tipped reindeer lichen, northern reindeer lichen, star reindeer lichen, star-tipped cup lichen

Parents	Unknown	Genus is not in the current taxonomy
Genus	Cladina
Species	stellaris	Starry, star-like, with spreading leaves or petals arranged in a star-shaped fashion

About plant names...

This lichen is circumpolar, occurring above the Arctic Circle and below the Antarctic Circle. In North America, it occurs throughout much of Canada and the northern United States, in forests of cone-bearing trees (boreal forests).

Identification: Star-tipped reindeer lichen is a fruticose lichen: it looks like a miniature shrub. They are densely branched, and lack a main stem. They form compact, rounded mounds. Similar lichens are compared below.

8/2/2023 · Higgins Mountain, Georgetown, Maine

	*Cladina rangiferina*	*Cladina mitis*
Common Name	gray reindeer lichen	green reindeer lichen
Plant	Fruticose lichen, 2½-5" (6.3-12 cm) high, grayish white. Branches are hollow, and end branches often point in the same direction.	Fruticose lichen, 2-3½" (5-8.9 cm) high, yellowish-green to yellowish-gray, composed of multiple branches from a main stem, like tiny trees.
Habitats	Boreal (cone-bearing) forests, on soil or thin soil on rocks.	Boreal (cone-bearing) forests, on soil or thin soil on rocks. Often with mosses and grasses.
Type	Wild	Wild