Stats

Lifespan

Up to 50 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Temperate forest

Range

Worldwide

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Spores

Defense

Toxins

Status

Common

About

This pale, shrub-like lichen grows in tangled tassels on tree bark worldwide. It absorbs all its nutrients and water directly from the surrounding air.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   spore

   A microscopic spore drifts on air or water and germinates where moisture and substrate meet.
2. 2.
   mycelium

   A thread-like mycelium spreads through the substrate, breaking it down into nutrients.
3. 3.
   fruiting body

   A mature fruiting body emerges to release the next generation of spores.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Fungi

Phylum

Ascomycota

Class

Lecanoromycetes

Order

Lecanorales

Family

Parmeliaceae

Genus

Usnea