Cladonia coccifera s. str.

Podetia to 3.5 cm tall, yellow-grey to yellow-green; cups broad, gradually tapering to the base with only a short stalk (C. pyxidata-type), usually regular, rarely proliferating from the margins; surface ± corticate but ± areolate throughout, with conspicuous coarse bullate corticate granules, especially within the cups, sometimes ± squamulose at the base; soredia usually absent. Basal squamules to 2 mm diam., very variable, ± rounded and sparingly indented; lower surface often yellow- to orange-brown, K+ purplish towards the base, ± dispersed or occasionally forming ± compact cushions. Apothecia and pycnidia frequent, on the margins of cups, the apothecia red and pycnidia black or reddish and containing red gel. Thallus C–, K–, KC+ yellow, Pd–, UV–. In dried collections, needle-like crystals develop on the surface of collections of the complex containing zeorin. 

In Cladonia coccifera s. str., podetia are regular, continuously corticate but often irregularly granular in the upper part. Squamules are few, and granules ± flattened. In the similar Cladonia borealis, the podetia are smoother, and do not become irregularly granular in the upper part.