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.
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