British Soldier Lichen

Cladonia cristatella

Brilliant red apothecia resembling tiny soldiers’ caps.
This lichen’s bright scarlet fruiting bodies stand out against its pale green stalks, earning its iconic name “British Soldier.”

Description

Cladonia cristatella, commonly known as the British Soldier Lichen, is a fruticose lichen with erect, stalk-like structures (podetia) that terminate in vivid red apothecia.
The main thallus forms a greenish-gray base layer, from which the upright podetia rise 5–15 mm. These stalks are often branched, with granular or scaly surfaces. The red tips are spore-bearing structures.

This species prefers well-lit, decaying wood, soil, or mossy substrates, particularly in open forests, trailsides, and old stumps. It often coexists with Candelaria, Flavoparmelia, and other pioneer lichens.

Behavior

British Soldier lichens grow slowly, often taking years to reach noticeable size. They reproduce via spores from the red apothecia and through fragmentation of the podetia. Typically found in early-successional habitats where competition is minimal.

Color

Podetia: pale green to gray-green from algae and fungal cortex.
Apothecia: intensely scarlet red, forming the distinctive “caps.”

Branching Podetia

Upright branching podetia, typically 5–15 mm tall, rough or granular in texture.

Substrate

Base forms a crustose or squamulose mat, often interwoven with mosses or other lichens.

Size

Entire lichen colony ranges from a few centimeters across; individual stalks 5–15 mm tall and 0.5–1 mm thick. Apothecia typically 0.5–1.5 mm in diameter.

Images