Cladoniaceae
A distinctive feature of many Cladoniaceae species is their dimorphic thallus: a scaly or crust-like primary form and a fruticose (shrub-like) secondary form known as a podetium or pseudopodetium. These lichens typically grow on soil, decaying wood, or tree trunks, with a few species found on rocks. They form symbiotic associations with green algae, usually from the genus Asterochloris. The family is known for its diverse secondary metabolites—over 70 have been identified—which play roles in species identification and ecological functions such as protection against UV radiation and herbivore deterrence. Genomic studies have uncovered significant variation in mitochondrial DNA among Cladoniaceae species, contributing to the understanding of their evolution and diversity.
Some Cladoniaceae species have economic value, particularly in decorative uses such as floral arrangements and model-making due to their unique structures. Six species are included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, facing threats from habitat loss, climate change, and human activities. Conservation efforts are ongoing to protect these vulnerable species.
Systematics
Historical taxonomy
Before the term 'lichen' was widely adopted, one of the earliest classification systems for these organisms was developed by the German botanist Johann Jacob Dillenius. In his 1741 system, Cladonia species were placed within the genus Coralloides. In his Species Plantarum, Carl Linnaeus formally described several species that are now classified within the Cladoniaceae. Although he initially placed them in the eponymously named genus Lichen, a dozen of these species are recognised as belonging to the genus Cladonia. Among these was Cladonia pyxidata, a representative of the "pixie cup" or "trumpet" lichens—so named for their distinctive shape, as well as some well-known and widespread Cladonia species: C. coccifera, C. cornuta, C. deformis, C. digitata, C. fimbriata, C. gracilis, C. portentosa, C. rangiferina, C. stellaris, C. subulata, and C. uncialis. These 12 species represent about 14% of the 80 Lichen species Linnaeus described in his seminal 1753 work.
The German naturalist Jonathan Carl Zenker formally introduced the Cladoniaceae to science in 1827, with his work appearing in a publication edited by Karl Goebel. Zenker's initial concept of the family included genera such as Baeomyces, Icmadophila, and Stereocaulon, which have since been reclassified into separate families due to advances in taxonomic understanding. William Nylander included 53 Cladonia species worldwide in his 1860 work Synopsis lichenum. When Edvard August Vainio published his three-volume monograph on the Cladoniaceae (Monographia Cladoniarum universalis, 1887, 1894, and 1897), he included 134 species and subspecies. In his circumscription of the family, the genera Pycnothelia, Cladia, and Cladina were included in the genus Cladonia. In recent history, Teuvo Ahti's extensive research, including comprehensive monographs and revisions, has significantly advanced the understanding of Cladoniaceae taxonomy and biogeography.
Cladoniaceae is now one of the largest families of lichen-forming fungi, with about 560 species distributed amongst 18 genera. The type genus is Cladonia, circumscribed by the Irish physician and botanist Patrick Browne in 1756. He included eight species in his new genus. Of their occurrence, he wrote: "All these species are found in great abundance in the mountains of Liguanea: they grow mostly on the ground, among other sorts of moss, but a few ... species chiefly are found upon the decaying trunks of trees."
Etymology and naming
As is standard practice in botanical nomenclature, the name Cladoniaceae is based on the name of the type genus, Cladonia, with the ending -aceae indicating the rank of family. The genus name comprises the Greek word: κλάδος (klādos), meaning "branch", "bud", or "shoot"; and the Latin -ia, a suffix commonly used in Latin to form nouns, particularly in taxonomy to denote genera.
It is well known that reindeer feed on lichens, which has led to the widespread but misleading name "reindeer moss". This common name, along with "reindeer lichen" and "caribou lichen", is typically applied to the ground-dwelling, mat-forming species that were previously classified in the genus Cladina. Cladonia species with cup-shaped structures borne at the tips of vertical stalks (podetia) are often known as "pixie cups". Examples include the "boreal pixie cup" (C. borealis), the "finger pixie cup" (C. digitata), and the "red-fruited pixie cup" (C. pleurota) Additional names alluding to these characteristic structures include the "powdered funnel lichen" (C. cenotea), and the "trumpet lichen" (C. fimbriata). Some names reference the reddish hue of their fruiting structures, such as "British soldiers" (C. cristatella), the "jester lichen" (C. leporina), and the "lipstick powderhorn" (C. macilenta).
Phylogenetics
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Cladogram depicting phylogenetic relationships among selected Cladoniaceae taxa, based on Stenroos and colleagues' 2019 analysis. |
Molecular phylogenetics studies have significantly advanced the scientific understanding of relationships within the Cladoniaceae, particularly in the large and diverse genus Cladonia. Early studies in the early 2000s began to reveal the complexity of relationships within the family, challenging traditional morphology-based classifications. More recent comprehensive analyses have identified 13 major clades within Cladonia, providing a framework for understanding the genus's evolution and diversity. These clades, while generally well-supported by molecular data, often lack clear morphological synapomorphies (shared physical characteristics inherited from a common ancestor), highlighting the challenges in Cladonia taxonomy. Some clades, such as clade Erythrocarpae (characterised by red apothecia) and clade Ochroleucae (with pale ochraceous apothecia), do share distinctive features. However, most clades encompass a wide range of morphological and chemical variation.
Within these clades, several species complexes have been identified, such as the Cladonia gracilis group and the Cladonia humilis group. These complexes often include morphologically similar species that are difficult to distinguish based on traditional taxonomic characters. Molecular studies have revealed that many of these complexes contain cryptic diversity, with genetically distinct lineages that are not easily recognisable morphologically.
Focused molecular studies have further refined the understanding of specific groups within Cladoniaceae. For instance, detailed analyses of the Cladonia furcata complex have revealed high levels of homoplasy (the occurrence of similar traits due to convergent evolution rather than shared ancestry) in the morphological characters traditionally used for species delimitation. Similarly, studies on the Cladonia cariosa group and the Cladonia pyxidata group have uncovered previously unrecognised diversity and highlighted the need for integrative approaches combining molecular, morphological, and chemical data in species delimitation. These phylogenetic studies have also shed light on biogeographic patterns within Cladoniaceae. For example, some clades show distinct geographic distributions, such as a group of predominantly African species within clade Perviae, while others have more cosmopolitan distributions. Morphologically distinct genera like Carassea, Pycnothelia, and Metus form a sister clade to Cladonia. These genera share some morphological and chemical traits, such as dimorphic thalli and the production of atranorin. However, their geographic distributions vary, with Carassea being endemic to Brazil, while Pycnothelia has a bipolar distribution (i.e., found in the high latitudes of both hemispheres) and Metus is found primarily in Australasia.
Genomics
Genomic studies have revealed significant variation in the size and structure of mitochondrial DNA in Cladoniaceae, uncovering significant variation in genome size and structure. Within the genus Cladonia, mitochondrial genomes span from approximately 45,000 to 66,000 base pairs, consistently containing respiratory genes and ribosomal RNA regions across all examined species. Crustose lichens tend to have smaller mitochondrial genomes compared to their fruticose and foliose counterparts. The genomes often harbour homing endonuclease genes, which may influence genomic evolution. Notably, substantial intraspecific variation has been observed, particularly in widespread species such as C. rangiferina and C. submitis. Unlike some other symbiotic organisms, Cladoniaceae do not exhibit mitochondrial genome reduction, suggesting complex evolutionary dynamics.
Synonymy
Several phylogenetic studies have shown that Cladoniaceae is a member of the order Lecanorales, and is closely related to the family Stereocaulaceae. The family Cetradoniaceae, which was created in 2002 to contain the endangered species Cetradonia linearis, was folded into the Cladoniaceae in 2006.
In 2018, Ekaphan Kraichak and colleagues used a technique called temporal banding to reorganise the Lecanoromycetes, proposing a revised system of classification based on correlating taxonomic rank with geological (evolutionary) age. They synonymised the families Squamarinaceae and Stereocaulaceae with the Cladoniaceae, resulting in a large increase in the number of genera and species. The Squamarinaceae had already been included in the Cladoniaceae by previous authors. Although this reorganisation has been used in some later publications, the folding of the Stereocaulaceae into the Cladoniaceae was not accepted in a recent analysis. Robert Lücking highlighted that merging the two families under the name Cladoniaceae is not permissible without a formal conservation proposal because Stereocaulaceae, established in 1826, predates Cladoniaceae, which was established in 1827. According to the rules of botanical nomenclature, the earliest validly published name has priority and must be used when two families are combined unless an exception is granted. This means that if the families were merged without a conservation proposal, the combined family would have to be named Stereocaulaceae due to its earlier establishment. In a 2021 treatment of the British and Irish Cladoniaceae, the authors also keep these families separate, noting "both families are monophyletic and easily distinguishable on both morphological and molecular terms".