Bushy Beard Lichen (Usnea strigosa)
--Habitat: Open woods, roadsides, especially in higher elevations
--Substrate: Deciduous tree trunks, branches, and canopy twigs
--Isidia & Soredia: None
--Apothecia: Common, with large round yellow-green (to orangish or tan) disks at the ends of branches. Fibrils radiate from all sides of each disk, perhaps reminding you of a Venus fly trap.
--Distinctive Features: Very bristly tufts with large bristly apothecia (and no soredia or isidia) make this an easy species to recognize in the field. The cortex is yellow-green104, but the medulla and central cord can be either red or white.
--Notes: The bristly branches of U. strigosa could remind you of a bottlebrush or even a caterpillar. In a remarkable example of lichen mimicry, the caterpillar of an uncommon moth feeds upon U. strigosa and probably deters predators by its near-perfect resemblance to this mildly toxic lichen rich in usnic acid (Sigal 1984).
