Usnea Longissima

Day 159: Another of my favourite lichens, Usnea longissima grows in long, unbranched strands and resembles a Christmas garland in structure. Authorities will tell you that the strands can reach ten feet in length. I have personally traced one back at least twelve feet from its broken tip, and more was hopelessly tangled in the branches of the tree where it was growing. This elegant lichen is sensitive to pollutants and can be found only in areas where the ambient air is free of them, a good sign if you're hiking for your health. As a sidebar, I must inform you that the species was placed in the rank Dolichousnea in 2004, separating it from Usnea due to subtle differences in its morphology. As much as I like to keep current with taxonomy, this one is too ingrained in memory to change. For those of you who may be curious about the etymology, "dolicho-" means "long," so the new name translates as "Long, long Usnea." At least it's accurately descriptive.

Usnea Longissima, Nature's Garland

Day 51: I have quite a few "favourite" lichens. I mean, it's hard to choose a single one from over 1000 species (not counting subspecies) present right here in the Pacific Northwest, but Usnea longissima pretty much tops the list. It is Nature's version of a Christmas garland, its long strands unbranched and sometimes growing (in my personal observation) up to fifteen feet long. At Rainey Creek, it festoons many of the trees close by the water, dwindling in occurrence the farther one goes from the creek banks, as it is quite sensitive to air pollution and prefers the circulation afforded by proximity to moving water. Like other Usneas, it can be used to dye wool and cotton, and the current popularity of home dyeing with natural materials is leading to a decline in Usneas in some areas. Even as abundant as it is at Rainey Creek, I will not collect it. I prefer to observe, admire and enjoy Lichen Christmas all year 'round.

Seeking New Populations

Day 84: I am a regular contributor to the Burke Museum's Herbarium Image Collection. I've lost track of how many photos I've had put up, but they include vascular plants, lichens and the occasional fungus. A few days ago, I sent in two images, and when the curator notified me that they'd been posted on the spanking-new webpage, I wanted to check to be sure they were listed correctly. When the webpage loaded, the banner was displaying one of my photos of Usnea longissima, taken at Rainey Creek in Lewis County. The banner rotates through a series of images; I was very proud to see one of mine included. It inspired me to take a walk to Rainey Creek today, but I was not prepared to see that the Usnea-bearing tree had been undermined by the creek and its remains, bare of anything resembling green matter, were under mud and water. The discovery left me feeling very sad. It was one of the most lush Usnea longissima colonies I've seen. The lichen only grows where the air is purest, and fifty feet back from the creek, no more can be found.

I have not explored all of the Rainey Creek area by any means. For one thing, it's choked with reed-canary grass and strikes me as a prime location for collecting ticks. I don't venture off the path when the grass is high. Today, though, it was fairly well beaten down and the muddy paths usually concealed beneath it were open and visible. I decided to go on an Usnea hunt. My efforts were rewarded with the discovery of several other nice Usnea-bearing trees, and another pair of gems which will appear in this blog over the next two days, one of which has already been forwarded to the Burke. Government shutdown or not, I'm still hunting plants, albeit for different agencies.

Footnote: As of this date, I have 94 images in the Burke database (4 more are pending). The new site lets you browse by photographer.

Usnea Longissima, Mother Nature's Garland

Day 15: For me, the main attraction at Rainey Creek is a tree festooned with Usnea longissima, the lichen I call "Mother Nature's Garland." Its semi-official common name is "Methuselah's Beard," presumably derived from the great lengths it sometimes attains. Unlike other Usneas, it does not form branches off the central cord; it may grow up to 10 feet according to Brodo, but after tracing one strand back a full six, I'm inclined to think that may be a low estimate.

Longissima only thrives where the air is free of pollutants, a factor which may also account for the healthier-than-average population of mosquitoes along Rainey Creek. From the bridge where the Usnea Tree stands, the view shows other trees equally wreathed, but only immediately alongside the stream channel. I have found other wisps of this graceful lichen further from the creek, struggling for survival where they may have been dropped by a bird carrying potential nesting material. This Usnea occurs in other local areas, but to date, I have found none as lush as those along Rainey Creek...as good a reason as any to pay it a visit when the skeeters aren't flying!

Bio-Blitz Big Day

Day 221: Under an ominous weather forecast, today's Bio-Blitz teams were wondering if the event was going to turn into a swim meet before they returned with their species surveys. It had been raining rather vigorously when I left home, but during the preliminary briefings, precipitation dwindled to a light drizzle. We dispersed to our various assignments, and my crew headed up Rampart Ridge. Our goal was to make the entire loop, but it quickly became apparent that we had too much to document in the time allotted to us, so after taking close to two hours to complete the first mile, we began considering alternatives. By the time we reached the overlook, we had recorded over 70 images of lichens, bryophytes, fungi and mycoheterotrophic plants and it was time to turn around. We took a brief lunch in a light shower, the only real rain we'd experienced up to that point.

Among the species we documented were Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia), both Pilophorus acicularis and clavatus (Matchstick lichens), and one solitary specimen of Usnea. We found two examples of a colour variation of Corallorhiza maculata (canary yellow!) and a number of emergent Allotropa virgata (Candystick) and Hypopitys monotropa (Pinesap). All in all, it was a very rewarding day, and it only started raining in earnest as we made our final approach to the Longmire parking area. Bio-Blitz was a blast!

Usnea Faerie

Day 42: Look closely, and you may see a Lichen Sprite among the strands of Usnea longissima beside Rainey Creek, an avatar of Nature husbanding her charges with love and kindness. Like the Usneas she shepherds, this faerie is sensitive to air-borne pollutants, and thus as a species, is becoming rarer and rarer in the modern world. Rainey Creek offers the perfect habitat for Usneas and their faerie guardians, but it's best to visit in the autumn or winter. The sprites and visitors alike vie with highly competitive mosquitoes during the spring and summer months.

Comparative Lichenology

Day 41: East meets West for today's essay! A friend recently sent me two lichen specimens from Maine in the hopes that I could identify them for her. One of them was a member of the generic category of "Old Man's Beard lichens," specifically Usnea filipendula (Fishbone Beard, top photos). It put me in mind of my favourite among the Usneas, Methuselah's Beard (U. longissima, lower photos), so I thought it would be fun to present them paired, and thus took a short hike to a location where longissima is abundant.

As you can see, Fishbone is much more compact and delicate. Longissima grows in graceful strands up to ten feet in length. Filipendula branches abundantly, and Methuselah's Beard consists of threads on a central stem, much like a Christmas garland. A microscopic view reveals that isidia (grain-like reproductive units which detach easily from the thallus) are present on both specimens, but are more numerous in the case of filipendula. Both species are excellent air-quality indicators. Sensitive to even small amounts of pollution, Usneas only grow where the air is pure.

On The Subject Of Beards

Day 12: Usneas came up in conversation this morning...yes, I do have friends who talk lichens with me...so I decided to go for a drive and short walk to visit my favourite species, Usnea longissima. Besides being one of the most graceful and beautiful of our local lichens, U. longissima is highly sensitive to pollutants. You can be assured that you're breathing the best air when you find yourself amid trees adorned with its streamers.

This Usnea is largely a lowland species, but that said, it is considered threatened world-wide, and has in fact been extirpated in much of its normal range, over-harvested by collectors selling "moss" to the floral industry. The strands can be up to ten feet long, and the sight of them swaying in the breeze will quickly clue you into how this lichen is transported. They blow on the wind like feathers, the tendrils catching on any available twig, gathering into gauzy curtains of pale green lace. At this site, they seem to have a preference for cottonwood, and occur only on those trees closest to a small stream. I've monitored this location for several years, and am happy to say they seem to be thriving.

Usnea Longissima, Methuselah's Beard Lichen

Day 171: We now resume our regularly scheduled programming, and by that I mean "no more April Fools' jokes."

Frequently and easily mistaken for a moss, Usnea longissima is one of the most elegant members of the lichen family. Also known as Methuselah's Beard, this Usnea grows in strands which may reach lengths of nine feet, and drapes over branches like a tinsel Christmas swag. Like the lung lichens, Usnea longissima is a good indicator of air quality since it is highly sensitive to pollutants. Seen here growing on Red Alder along the Rainey Creek trail, Methuselah's Beard is abundant at the east end of Riffe Lake.