Fauna
Fungus

Bushy Beard Lichen

Usnea strigosa

Also known as Beard Lichen, Fringed Beard Lichen, Bushy Beard

Bushy beard lichen forms distinctive, shrubby yellowish-green tufts clinging to tree bark in sunny, humid woodlands across eastern North America. Unlike many long, hanging beard lichens, it grows in somewhat erect or bushy clusters tipped with prominent, saucer-like reproductive disks fringed by thin, radiating fibrils. Because it absorbs water and dissolved nutrients directly from the air and precipitation, it serves as an excellent natural indicator of atmospheric purity.

LichenEpiphyticIndicator Species
Bushy Beard Lichen reference1 / 7
(c) Michael J. Papay, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Michael J. Papay · cc-by
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Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySymbiotic (Photosynthetic photobiont with fungal partner)
Predators
  • Snails and slugs
  • Mites
  • White-tailed deer
ThreatsAir pollution (sulfur dioxide), heavy atmospheric acidity, forest clear-cutting
HabitatsDeciduous and coniferous forests, open woodlands, orchard trees
Life span10–30 years
Classification
  1. OrderLecanorales
  2. FamilyParmeliaceae
  3. GenusUsnea
  4. SpeciesUsnea strigosa
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Safe to observe at a normal distance; never eat wild fungi or lichens based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Look for Disk Structures: Examine branch ends for flattened, saucer-like apothecia fringed with thin rays.
  • Test the Elastic Cord: Gently pull a branch to reveal the stretchy pale inner cord characteristic of the genus.
  • Assess Air Quality: Healthy, dense populations indicate low air pollution and clean atmospheric conditions.
Related species
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