Day 104: I set out on the Bud Blancher Trail with no particular purpose in mind other than clearing my lungs of the last vestiges of a cold, but of course no walk or hike is ever taken without some tidbit of nature drawing my interest. I'd just crossed the first bridge when a small clump of pendulous lichen caught my eye. I don't know why I took a closer look, because I had already given it an initial dismissal as an Alectoria, but as I lifted it, I noticed fibrils perpendicular to the main branch. "Waitaminit," I said aloud to no one in particular, "that's an Usnea!" Sure enough, when I stretched it lightly, the cortex split, revealing the axial "spinal column" typical of the genus (inset). This unexpected discovery set the tone for the rest of the hike. How many Usneas could I find?
Not having an authoritative guide to Usneas on hand, I am reluctant to make any firm identifications here. According to lichenologist Bruce McCune, the group collectively called "Usnea filipendula" has not been strictly divided taxonomically. He goes on to state, "...local material also seems to intergrade with U. scabrata and U. scabiosa. Until the taxonomy of this group is worked out more clearly, it seems futile to try to apply these names." Suffice to say that the five specimens I collected were sufficiently different morphologically that I knew them to be separate from each other. Other specimens found during my hike showed a confusing admixture of characteristics, "a little o' dis, a little o' dat."
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