a genus of lichens of the family Sphaero-phoraceae. The bushy, erect thallus resembles coral; its coloration is cinnamon or cinnamon-gray. The apothecia are deposited deep in the inflated hemispherical apices of branches and have the appearance of perithecia. Upon maturation the spore-bearing layer, or hymenium, is destroyed, revealing a receptacle filled with spores. There are about eight species, distributed in arctic and mountain regions. The two species found in the USSR, S. fragilis and S. globosus, are eaten by reindeer.