Volume 5: Ahti, Teuvo, Soili Stenroos and Roland Moberg (eds.): Cladoniaceae. 2013. illus. 117 p. Hardcover.- Plus 1 CD.

The present fifth volume, dedicated to the family Cladoniaceae and edited by Teuvo Ahti, Soili Stenroos and Roland Moberg, includes treatments of 100 species representing three genera. T. Ahti and S. Stenroos, have examined thousands of collectionsin all the major Nordic herbaria in addition to extensive field work in all the Nordic countries. They have also conducted DNAanalyses of numerous species. Their thorough work has resulted in many new findings, but also revealed new, often still unsolved problems, which are pointed out in the discussions after each species. The total distribution of each species is also carefully indicated, based on the authors' worldwide database. The Cladoniaceae play a prominent part in northern ecosystems, because they include the so-called reindeer lichens, the major groundfloor dominants of the lichen woodlands of northern Fennoscandia, which provide staple food for the reindeers. Since members of the Cladoniaceae are morphologically extraordinarily variable, this volume is indispensable for anybody who wants to identify these beautiful organisms.