Loading profile. Please wait . . .

---

Federal Protection: No US federal protection

State Protection: No Georgia state protection

Global Rank: G5

State Rank: SNR

Element Locations Tracked in Biotics: No

SWAP 2015 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No

SWAP 2025 Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN): No

2025 SGCN Priority Tier:

Element Occurrences (EOs) in Georgia: 0

Habitat Summary for element in Georgia: Forests and woodlands

---

Description

Green to gray-green thallus of terete branches with an elastic (when wet) or hard central cord or axis; thallus shrubby to sub-pendent, fibrils common to sparse; isidia common to abundant near branch tips, singly and in groups; medulla thin & loose, pink to red, color intensifying toward axis; axis of moderate thickness, white to pink, solid; CHEMISTRY: no substances; FIELD ID: snipping out a short segment of a large branch will allow examination of axis & medulla (see image below)

Similar Species

Usnea baileyi can have a medulla as pink as that of a pale U. mutabilis, but its axes are hollow

Related Rare Species

Usnea baileyi, U. dimorpha

Habitat

Forests & woodlands; substrates: hardwood bark: 29% Quercus, 5% Acer & 48% other hardwoods or unknowns; conifer bark: 9% Pinus, 5% Juniperus & 2 records on Taxodium; 2 records on silicious rock

Life History

Corticolous fruticose lichenized fungus, photobiont a green alga (Trebouxia?).

Survey Recommendations

None

Range

Statewide, with very few records from Southern Blue Ridge

Threats

Unknown

Georgia Conservation Status

Common

Conservation Management Recommendations

None

References

Brodo, I. M. 2001. Lichens of North America. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.

Brodo, I. M. 2016. Keys to lichens of North America: revised and expanded. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.

Esslinger, T. L. 2021. A cumulative checklist for the lichen-forming, lichenicolous and allied fungi of the continental United States and Canada. Version 24. Opuscula Philolichenum 20: 100-394.

Authors of Account

Malcolm Hodges

Date Compiled or Updated

2 August 2022