Usnea torquescens Stirt.
Thallus pendulous, 30-60(-200) cm long, pale greenish or olivaceous, sometimes tinged reddish, ± dichotomously branching, entangled. Branches uniform near base, 0.5-1 mm thick, thinner at apices, slender, terete or angular, stiff, longitudinally ridged or winged along most of length of branch, often longitudinally furrowed, sometimes papillate, secondary branchlets at right angles to main branches, crowded, straight or curved, 0.5-1.5 mm long, articulate-cracked at base, terete, smooth or papillate, without soredia, pseudocyphellae, spinules or isidia. Apothecia not seen. Chemistry: Norstictic, salazinic and usnic acids.
N: Northland to Wellington. A characteristic, elongate species well-developed in humid habitats in northern coastal forest and inland in central North I., and northwards. Once used by Maoris as nappies for their babies (Audrey Eagle pers. comm.).
Australasian
