Fungus · GBIF taxon 7082719
British soldier lichen
Cladonia cristatellaAlso known as British Soldiers Cup Lichen, Red Crested Cladonia
British soldier lichen forms miniature stalk-like structures called podetia topped with brilliant crimson caps reminiscent of 18th-century military uniforms. This slow-growing organism represents a mutualistic partnership between a fungus and a photosynthetic green alga, allowing it to colonize nutrient-poor soil, rotting logs, and tree bases across eastern North America. Its bright scarlet tips produce fungal spores while the internal algal partner generates sugars to sustain the colony.
LichenRed CapSymbiotic
1 / 7—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Photosynthetic (symbiotic green algae partner)
Predators
- Slugs
- Snails
- Mites
ThreatsAir pollution, habitat loss, foot traffic trampling
HabitatsTemperate forests, rotting wood, soil, tree bases
Life spanDecades
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLecanorales
- FamilyCladoniaceae
- GenusCladonia
- SpeciesCladonia cristatella
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe closely; wild fungi and lichens have look-alikes and should never be consumed.
Responsible observation
- Magnification: Bring a hand lens or macro lens to view the tiny scarlet apothecia up close.
- Substrate Care: Avoid scraping or disturbing delicate moss and soil crusts where colonies grow.
- Moisture Dynamics: Look for vibrant color contrast shortly after recent rain when tissues expand.
Image unavailableLook-alike Close Relative 
Close Relative ErwinMeier / CC BY-SA 3.0 · cc-by-sa
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