Reindeer lichen  (Cladonia mediterranea)

Description

This member of the Cladonia (reindeer lichen) genus is whitish-grey in colour (3) and grows in low (4), bushy clumps (3). The familiar common name of these lichens, 'reindeer moss' is a misnomer, as the species is a lichen. This name arose because many members of the Cladonia genus comprise a major part of the diet of reindeer during winter (5), but this species, which as the specific name mediterranea suggests, does not occur in areas supporting reindeer (6).

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