Summary The terricolous lichen communities in lowlands occur especially in open, dry habitats and are often dominated by species of the genus Cladonia belonging to the family Cladoniaceae. The family is precisely variable in morphology, reproduction strategies, and secondary metabolites. The Indian Himalayan regions exhibit the occurrence of 67 species of terricolous communities represented by four genera, of which 42 species in the Cladonioid community have fumarprotocetraric acid. The fumarprotocetraric acid-containing species have special traits; they prefer to grow on soil, dead decaying wood, and soil over rocks. A primary squamulose thallus, microsquamules present or absent on podetial, scyphae with brown or red brown, and hymenium disc are the main traits. The objective of the present study is to determine the structure and composition of the lichen family Cladoniaceae in six Himalayan states of India, together with a comparative assessment of functional traits varied in different habitats together with metabolites. The qualitative assessment of secondary metabolites will also serve as a baseline for the development of green medicines in the near future by the biotechnological applications. bioprospection, ecology, green molecules, mycobiont culture, secondary metabolites