Fungus
Pebble Cup Lichen
Cladonia pyxidataAlso known as Pebbled Cup Lichen, Pyxie Cup Lichen, Common Cup Lichen
Pebble cup lichens form tiny, goblin-like green or greyish goblets rising from a scaly basal crust. The inner cups are covered in coarse, pebble-like granules known as soredia, which break free to spread the organism broadwise. They thrive on nutrient-poor soils, rotting wood, and mossy rocks across temperate and boreal ecosystems worldwide.
Cup LichenMoss CompanionWidespread
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyAutotrophic via photosynthetic green algal symbiont
Predators
- Reindeer
- Mites
- Snails
ThreatsAir pollution, severe soil compaction, habitat alteration
HabitatsSoil, rotting logs, mossy rocks, heathlands, open woodland floors
Life spanPerennial (decades)
Classification
- FamilyCladoniaceae
- SpeciesCladonia pyxidata
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Magnification: Use a hand lens to examine the bumpy, pebbled texture lining the inner cup.
- Tread Lightly: Avoid stepping on dry soil crusts where cup lichens grow, as trampling breaks them easily.
Close Relative Jason Hollinger / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative (c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael J. Papay · cc-by
Close Relative (c) 潘立傑 LICHIEH_PAN, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by 潘立傑 LICHIEH_PAN · cc-by
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