Fence-rail Cladonia
Cladonia parasitica
Cladonia parasitica, commonly known as the fence-rail cladonia, fence-rail cup lichen or parasite club lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Hoffmann in 1784 under the name Lichen parasiticus, until he reclassified it under the genus Cladonia in 1795.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cladonia_parasitica
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Fungi
Phylum
Ascomycota
Class
Lecanoromycetes
Order
Lecanorales
Family
Cladoniaceae
Genus
Cladonia
Fence-rail Cladonia belongs to the family Cladoniaceae, order Lecanorales, within the Lecanoromycetes class.
Species Profile
Cladonia parasitica, commonly known as the fence-rail cladonia, fence-rail cup lichen or parasite club lichen, is a species of fruticose, cup lichen in the family Cladoniaceae. It was first described by Hoffmann in 1784 under the name Lichen parasiticus, until he reclassified it under the genus Cladonia in 1795.
Fence-rail Cladonia (Cladonia parasitica) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal and inland sandy environments. The species faces severe pressure from urban development, recreational activities, and changes in natural disturbance regimes that maintain the open, nutrient-poor conditions it requires.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Fence-rail Cladonia (Cladonia parasitica) is critically endangered primarily due to habitat loss and degradation of its specialized coastal and inland sandy environments. The species faces severe pressure from urban development, recreational activities, and changes in natural disturbance regimes that maintain the open, nutrient-poor conditions it requires.
Habitat loss from coastal development
Recreational trampling and vehicle damage
Altered fire regimes and succession
Invasive plant species competition
Sand mining and quarrying
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Fence-rail Cladonia (Cladonia parasitica). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/fence-rail-cladonia