About:
A fruticose lichen with a shrubby, erect structure with reproductive structures, larger than 2 cm in length.
Habitat:
Usnea strigosa can be found throughout the Eastern and Southeastern United States, mostly on the branches of decidous trees.
History:
The indigenous tribes of North America used this lichen for medicinal purposes by boiling the lichen until soft, which was then ingested to help with fevers, headaches, and various aches(Hobbs, 1985).
Structure:
This green lichen has a shrubby, erect thallus attached at a single point ot the substrate it resides on. The lichen has a continous cortexand the reproductive structures, apothecia, at the ends of the structure can vary in size, shape, and color.
U. strigosa has many unique chemotypes, varying greatly by region but all specimens of this lichen contain Usnic acid.
Fun Fact!
-It, like many lichen in the genus Usnea is known as the bushy beard lichen.
Reference List:
-Hobbs, C. (1985). Herbal antibiotic usnea lichen. Capitola, CA: Native Herb Co.
-Usnea strigosa. Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria. [accessed 2020 May 4]. https://lichenportal.org/cnalh/taxa/index.php?taxon=54697&clid=1201
-Usnea strigosa. Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria. CNALH - Google Map. [accessed 2020 May 4]. https://lichenportal.org/cnalh/collections/map/googlemap.php?usethes=1&taxa=54697