A detailed chemical and morphological study has been carried out on West European specimens of Cladonia subulata (L.) F. H. Wigg. and C. rei Schaer. Using thin-layer chromatography (TLC), three different chemotypes were found, which did not show any correlation with distribution, substratum, habitat or any of the morphological characteristics mentioned in recent floras. Moreover, the application of UV (long-wave) proved to be unreliable for detecting homosekikaic acid and thus for distinguishing the two species. It appears that only one species, with three chemotypes, exists in Western Europe. Cladonia subulata is therefore another of the more than ten Cladonia species reported so far that can contain either homosekikaic and/or fumarprotocetraric acid.