Day 37: Arguably the weirdest Cladonia I've ever met, the identity of this species eluded me until recently when I stumbled across the description while looking for something else. Known principally from specimens found on the east coast and commonly known as "Fence-rail Cladonia," Cladonia parasitica occupies a single post on the rail fence surrounding my yard, tucked in behind the yew hedge where it would have gone unnoticed but for the fact that I regularly check my fence line for interesting subject matter. The species is similar to two others, both of which tend to exhibit red apothecia more frequently and which respond differently to chemical testing. It is characterized by the granular appearance of its abundant, tiny squamules and plump podetia. How it came to live on my fence is a mystery. Did it arrive as a spore, perhaps dislodged from an Eastern tourist's car, or a squamule carried in on nursery stock or mud? One thing is certain: it couldn't have found a home where it would be appreciated more.
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