Cladonia botrytes

Cladonia botrytes. This is a very small, and rare species occurring in the ancient native pine forests of Scotland. It may be found on massive stumps at just the right stage of rotting. Clearly, ancient pines are not going to be felled specifically to conserve this species. It has also been found on the stems of leggy Calluna, but in this habitat it is rare, and hunting for it must be a thankless task. This photograph was taken in the Abernethy Forest.

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