Call 'Em "Fuzznias"

Day 141: Lichens in the genus Usnea are quite common in western Washington. Some, like Usnea longissima with its single graceful "Christmas garland" morphology, are easy to identify. Others fall into the category I like to call "fuzznias," so similar in outward appearance that it takes microscopic analysis to determine their species. They are often mistaken for mosses, so thickly do they grow on branches, and it is often and incorrectly assumed that they are killing trees. In fact, lichens such as the Usneas take hold on trees which are already stressed and dying, taking advantage of the weakened structure of the bark and wood. While different species of Usnea prefer different types of tree, multiple species of the genus often grow cheek-by-jowl. There may well be three or four species in this image.