Usnea arida Motyka
Thallus fruticose to subpendulous, spreading from base, 5-10 cm tall, green to yellowish-green, often brownish-red in parts, soft and flaccid when wet, irregularly subdichotomously branching, corticolous. Branches 0.5-2.5 mm thick, inflated, secondary branches numerous, often articulate-cracked at branch points, cortex glossy especially towards base, papillate, rarely with small, white, scattered, punctate pseudocyphellae, possibly formed through abrasion of papillae, sorediate, with many lateral fibrils, pseudoisidia and spinules, giving the plant a bristling appearance. Soredia discrete or crowded, often becoming pseudoisidiate, spinulose. Apothecia not seen. Chemistry: Salazinic, norstictic and usnic acids.
N: North Auckland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: Widely distributed, lowland and coastal. Epiphytic on bark of Metrosideros, Leptospermum, Olearia, Weinmannia, fruit trees, dead twigs, stumps, fenceposts, wooden gates and outbuildings. Possibly the most widespread and common species of Usnea in New Zealand. Intensely polymorphic.
Australasian
