Usnea inermis Motyka
Thallus fruticose, erect to subpendulous, 4-5 cm tall, somewhat caespitose, green or yellowish-green, sometimes with black bands or ± completely superficially blackened, soft and flaccid when wet, rather glossy, smooth, branching rather irregular, corticolous. Branches 1-1.5 mm wide at base, tapering towards apices, terete or irregularly subterete, to angular-compressed, slightly faveolate- impressed in parts, with long fibrils or secondary branchlets ± parallel with primary branches, very few lateral branchlets, spinules or fibrils, pseudocyphellae sparse to frequent, flat, becoming subconvex and sorediate, eroded- pulverulent, without papillae, rarely with spinules or pseudoisidia. Soredia farinose, pale yellowish-green or blackened, often with pseudoisidia, rarely completely investing branches in spreading, convex soralia. Apothecia not seen. Chemistry: Psoromic, conpsoromic and usnic acids.
N: North Auckland to Wellington. S: Nelson to Southland. St: Throughout, and common, lowland and coastal to subalpine on Discaria and Dracophyllum. Frequent on introduced trees and shrubs and on decorticated wood (fenceposts etc.). It has a similar distribution in New Zealand to U. arida and the two species are often sympatric. Subalpine collections are often superficially blackened and strongly resemble species of Neuropogon, however the presence of psoromic acid (K+ deep yellow) and the corticolous habit distinguishes U. inermis from Neuropogon acromelanus.
Australasian
