Habitat: abandoned stony pasture, moderately southeast inclined mountain slope with some Picea abies and Corylus avellana bushes, overgrown calcareous, stony ground, however possibly somewhat acid; very shallow soil layer, more or less open place, but mostly in shade of high Picea abies trees,exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, elevations 590 m (1.950 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: stony ground, among low grasses and mosses. - Comment: Determined by habitus and habitat only. No chemistry tests done. This species is very variable according to literature. Usually published pictures show much less podetia squamules and less branched habitus. Hence I have doubts the determination is correct. On other side. Ref.:(1) shows very similar habitus. Also I was unable to find a better alternative with characteristically almost absent ground squamules and typical 'cups' of the podetia. - Ref.: (1) W. Rothmaler, Exkursionsflora von Deutschland, Vol.1, Niedere Pflanzen, Elsevier, 3. Auflage (1994), p 604. (2) C.W. Smith, et all, The lichens of Great Britain and Ireland,The British Lichen Society (2009), p 329. (3) F.S. Dobson, Lichens, The Richmonds Publishing Ca. LTD (2005), p 140. (4) V. Wirth, Die Flechten Baden-Wrttembergs, Vol.1. Ulmer (1995), p 327.
Slo.: ? - Cladonia portentosa (Dufour) Coem. (1865), syn.: Cladonia impexa Harm. (1907), Cladina portentosa (Dufour) Follmann, (1979)- Habitat: at the foot of a low elevation scree slope, among small, retarded Picea abies and Fraxinus ornus trees, southeast inclined mountain slope, calcareous ground, quite open, dry and sunny place, exposed to direct rain, average precipitations ~ 3.000 mm/year, average temperature 7-9 deg C, elevations 650 m (2.150 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. - Substratum: nutrients poor sandy soil of scree ground. - Comments: This gray-green species of genus Cladonia, growing usually in 'broccoli-like pillows', is quite common locally. It can be found on dry, stony, deteriorating, long time ago abandoned pastures. Its main characteristics are rich, filigree branching and lack of tendency to one-sidedly oriented terminal branches with sharp apices (to the contrast to several other similar species where the branches' tips are more or lessoriented in the same direction). Growing was growing in several, mostly round patches in the vicinity. Round clumps measured up to 20 cm (8') in diameter and had about 5 cm (2') thicknesses. The largest 'continuous' mat found measured about 1 x 0.6 m (3 x 2 feet). Photographed species were in almost dry state. This determination seems quite probable but is not completely certain since no chemical tests have been made and several species with similar habitus exist. - Ref.: (1) F.S. Dobson, Lichens, The Richmonds Publishing Ca. LTD (2005), p 142. (2) C.W.Smith, et all, The lichens of Great Britain and Ireland, The British Lichen Society, (2009), p 319. (3) V. Wirth, Die Flechten Baden-Wrttembergs, Vol. 1. Ulmer (1995), p 334. (4) http://www.lichens.lastdragon.org/Cladonia_portentosa.html
Habitat: Mixed forest mostly Picea abies/Fagus sylvatica, moist alpine valley, quite shaded, insolation minimal, air humidity medium to high, exposed to precipitation, precipitations ~3.000 mm/year, average temperature 6-8 deg C, elevation 950 m (3.100 feet), alpine phytogeographical region. Substratum: A mossy tree stump almost completely decomposed into soil