Henricus

Thank you for the photos, Neil. Thats a very interesting finding. Congrats

I also was lucky to find Cladonia brevis about two years ago and since learned how to identify that species with some confidence. C. brevis was recently recorded in ten different locations in the federal state of Brandenburg in the northeast of Germany. It was first recorded by Harrie Sipman a couple of years ago in a disturbed site on eolian sand in the southeast of Brandenburg. I am accountable for more recent records. C. brevis seems to be a very early colonizer on silt rich sandy substrates soon to be replaced by more competitive terriculous lichen species or mosses. It was found colonizing compacted loamy sand in a heath grazed by cattle, on heaphs of earth, forest paths and aisles, as well as in sites disturbed by heavy vehicles on dunes and eolian sand. Frequent lichen accompaniants are definitely Pycnothelia papillaria and C. cervicornis ssp. cervicornis. Also C. strepsilis, C. coccifera, C. subulata and Placynthiella species. Polytrichum piliferum ist the most frequent moss species. Among higher plants Corynephorus canescens, Spergula morissonii, Calluna vulgaris and Teesdalia nudicaulis are the ones to name. Those always have only very little cover ratio.

As you wrote, blackish globose (or mug-shaped) pycnidia constricted at the base are typical of that species. It can be distiguished from other species with small rounded squamules, mostly lacking podetia but having dark coloured globose pycnidia, by using the fast and strong yellow P reaction (vs. Red for C. peziziformis and – for C. cariosa) or checking with K (- in C. brevis) against C. polycarpoides, which reacts yellow to red. C. cervicornis ssp. cervicornis is morphologically and ecologically quite similar, but lacks pycnidia and reacts P+ red. C. ramulosa can be similar to C. brevis, but has mostly lime green coloured small squamules that do react P+ red.

With some luck one is able to find fertile colonies, bearing numerous podetia up to 1,5 cm high but mostly much smaller. I am going to attach some pictures.

Hendrik