Usnea ceratina Ach.
Lichenogr. Univ.: 619, 1810.
Synonyms:
Description: Thallus fruticose-filamentous, rigid, greenish to greenish grey, shrubby to subpendulous, 20-50 cm long, branching mainly isotomic-dichotomously with divergent to parallel branches. Main branches cylindrical or irregular, ochre-coloured or greenish grey at base, with numerous annular cracks, the segments cylindrical to more or less sausage-like, terete to subangular, usually without foveoles or transverse furrows; fibrils and papillae sparse to numerous, the fibrils perpendicular to the main branches, up to 1 cm long; lateral branches not constricted at attachment point, with wart-like tubercles which become white at the top and bear stipitate, ulcerose soralia and/or isidiomorphs. Soralia originating from the top of tubercles or occasionally on large fibrils, at first punctiform (<1/2 of branch diameter), finally sometimes completely covering the terminal branches; isidiomorphs rare to numerous, 0.1–0.2 mm long, grouped in the soralia. Cortex hard, vitreous in longitudinal section, 6-11% of total branch thickness; medulla dense to compact, 18-28%, pink (rarely white or yellowish); central axis pink to almost red, sometimes white or pale yellow, 26-48%; ratio axis/medulla ranging between 1.1 and 2.7. Apothecia not observed in Italian material. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: cortex K-, C-, KC-, P-; medulla K-, C+ yellow, CK+ yellow-orange, P-. Chemistry: cortex with usnic acid; medulla with diffractaic, barbatic and variable amounts of 4-O-demethylbarbatic acids, rarely with squamatic acid.
Growth form: Fruticose filamentous
Substrata: bark
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly asexual, by thallus fragmentation
Commonnes-rarity: (info)
Alpine belt: absent
Subalpine belt: rather rare
Montane belt: rather common
Dry submediterranean belt: extremely rare
Humid submediterranean belt: very rare
Padanian area: absent
pH of the substrata:
1 2 3 4 5
Solar irradiation:
1 2 3 4 5
Aridity:
1 2 3 4 5
Eutrophication:
1 2 3 4 5
Poleotolerance:
0 1 2 3
Altitudinal distribution:
1 2 3 4 5 6
Rarity
absent
extremely rare
very rare
rare
rather rare
rather common
common
very common
extremely common
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Occurrence data
Predictive map
Current prediction (1981-2010)
Future prediction (2071-2100) SSP 1-2.6
Future prediction (2071-2100) SSP 5-8.5Predictive maps according to Francesconi et al. 2025
Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: hhttps://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_U/Usnea_ceratina.htm
France, 25/5/2015 - session AFL dans le Lot - Saint-Soz

Bernard Bouffinier - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Scaër

Bernard Bouffinier - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Forêt du Cranou

Michel David - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Forêt du Cranou

Michel David - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Forêt du Cranou

Michel David - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Forêt du Cranou
Growth form: Fruticose filamentous
Substrata: bark
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly asexual, by thallus fragmentation
Commonnes-rarity: (info)
Alpine belt: absent
Subalpine belt: rather rare
Montane belt: rather common
Dry submediterranean belt: extremely rare
Humid submediterranean belt: very rare
Padanian area: absent
pH of the substrata:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Solar irradiation:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Aridity:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Eutrophication:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Poleotolerance:
0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Altitudinal distribution:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
Rarity
absent
extremely rare
very rare
rare
rather rare
rather common
common
very common
extremely common
Loading data...
Occurrence data
Predictive map



Predictive maps according to Francesconi et al. 2025

Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: Tiiu Tõrra - Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Estonia

Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: hhttps://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_U/Usnea_ceratina.htm
France, 25/5/2015 - session AFL dans le Lot - Saint-Soz

Bernard Bouffinier - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Scaër

Bernard Bouffinier - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Forêt du Cranou

Michel David - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Forêt du Cranou

Michel David - Source: http://www.lichensmaritimes.org/index.php?task=fiche&lichen=603&lang=en
France, Forêt du Cranou
