Interesting for me: There are about 500 Cladoniaceae species of lichen known worldwide. Members of this species are highly variable in their form. Most species are constructed from a flat flake and erect stems (Podetien). The stems come in different forms. From fan-shaped, cup-formed, cylindrical, pin-shaped, trumpet-shaped to branched forms.
The little red "caps" that resemble the red hats worn by invading British troops during the American Revolutionary war give the lichen its common name of the the "British Soldier Lichen." In reality, the red hats are actually the sexual fruiting structure of the lichen, the apothecia.
*** :-) No responsibility is taken for the correctness of this information. Nova Scotia is not my natural habitat. Please correct me, if my identification is not correct or you know a more specific name or subfamily. I’m also interested in common or local names or any other special information.
