Usnea longissima

Usnea longissima, old man's beard or Methuselah's beard lichen, is a lichen in the family Parmeliaceae.

Methuselah's beard lichen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Fungi
Division:
Ascomycota
Class:
Lecanoromycetes
Order:
Lecanorales
Family:
Parmeliaceae
Genus:
Usnea
Species:
U. longissima
Binomial name
Usnea longissima
Lichen Usnea longissima growing on a conifer in the hills north of Mount St. Helens, showing the leaf-like side-branches and pendent "stems", some of them several metres long

Name

Usnea longissima has also been named Dolichousnea longissima,[1] but this is not the currently accepted name for this lichen.[2]

Distribution

Usnea longissima is found in boreal forests and coastal woodland in Europe, Asia, and North America.[3]

Description

This lichen is fruticose, with very long stems and short, even side branches. It is considered the longest lichen in the world.[4] The stems are usually 15 to 30 cm in length but are sometimes much longer.[5]

Ecology

The most frequent host of this lichen is spruce trees. It is currently on threatened status.

It grows on old trees, deciduous or coniferous, including on this nearly 100 year old pear in the Dosewallips river delta of western Washington [picture needed].

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References
  1. Articus, K. (2004) Neuropogon and the phylogeny of Usnea s.l. (Parmeliaceae, lichenized Ascomycetes). Taxon 53(4): 925-934.
  2. Esslinger, TL. (2018) A Cumulative Checklist for the Lichen-Forming, Lichenicolous and Allied Fungi of the Continental United States and Canada, Version 22. Opuscula Philolichenum 17: 6-268. http://sweetgum.nybg.org/science/op/biblio_details.php?irn=480859
  3. "Fact Sheet: Usnea longissima in Norway." Nov 08, 1996.http://www.toyen.uio.no/botanisk/bot-mus/lav/factshts/usnelong.htm Archived March 30, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (accessed Dec 19, 2008).
  4. Sharnoff, S.. "'Usnea longissima..'." http://www.lichen.com/bigpix/Ulongissima.html (accessed Dec 19, 2008).
  5. Walewski, Joe (2007). Lichens of the North Woods. Duluth, MN: Kollath-Stensaas. ISBN 0-9792006-0-1.


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