Cladonia fimbriata (L.) Fr.
Trumpet lichen, cup lichen
The trumpet-like fruiting structures of these lichens (apothecia) are believed to help in distributing the spores—falling raindrops caught by the structures are splashed some distance, taking the spores with them.
Identification: The lichen and “trumpets” are gray-green in color. Each stalk is less than 1″ (2.5 cm) in height. Several Cladonia members share these structures, so this ID is tentative.
Habitats: Often associated with mosses on recently disturbed sites, on rotten wood, in gardens and on old walls, occasionally in heathlands and dunes, absent from damp montane areas.
Online References:
References:
9/5/2009 · Orange Trail, Willard Brook State Park, Townsend, Massachusetts · ≈ 2½ × 3½″ (7.2 × 8.6 cm)
ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Fungi | Mushrooms, lichens, gel fungi, yeasts, and molds; also called eukaryotes |
| Division | Ascomycota | Sac fungi |
| Subdivision | Pezizomycotina | Sac fungi with filaments |
| Class | Lecanoromycetes | “Lichenized” fungi |
| Order | Lecanorales | Mostly lichen-forming fungi |
| Suborder | Lecanorineae | Lichens |
| Family | Cladoniaceae | Reindeer moss, cup lichen, others |
| Genus | Cladonia | “Cup lichen” |
| Species | fimbriata | “Fringed” |
Cladonia fimbriata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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