Usnea perplexans Stirt.

Scottish Natur., 6: 103, 1881.
Synonyms: Usnea arnoldii Motyka; Usnea betulina Motyka; Usnea fulvoreagens auct. non (Räsänen) Räsänen; Usnea lapponica Vain.; Usnea laricina auct. p.p. non Vain. ex Räsänen
Distribution: N - Ven (Caniglia & al. 1999), TAA (Nascimbene & al. 2007b), Piem (Morisi & Sereno 1995), VA (Borlandelli & al. 1996, Piervittori & Isocrono 1997, 1999, Bergamaschi & al. 2004). C - Tosc, Abr, Mol (Caporale & al. 2008), Sar (Zedda 2002).
Description: Thallus fruticose-filamentous, greenish, shrubby to subpendulous, 4-10(-15) cm long, branching mainly anisotomic dichotomously with divergent branches. Main branches of more or less irregular shape (longitudinal section), often deformed and/or foveolate, sometimes irregularly swollen, the base pale or blackened; lateral branches not constricted at attachment point. Papillae usually numerous, especially on main branches, verrucose to cylindrical; fibrils irregularly distributed, < 3 mm long. Soralia large (> 50% of the branch diam.), becoming expanded and irregular or bracelet-like, deeply excavate, typically reaching the central axis and tearing off the adjacent cortex, without isidiomorphs. Cortex moderately thin (5-8% of total branch thickness), matt in longitudinal section; medulla loose to dense, white, moderately thick (21-30%); central axis white, moderately thin (28-43%); ratio axis/medulla 0.8-2.2. Apothecia not observed in Italian material. Photobiont chlorococcoid. Spot tests: cortex K-, C-, KC-, P-; soralia and medulla K-, K+ yellow turning orange-red or K+ slowly yellowish, C-, KC-, P- or P+ orange-yellow or P+ deep orange. Chemistry: cortex with usnic acid; the most common chemotype contains (in the medulla) salazinic acid with variable amounts of accessory substances such as protocetraric, barbatic and caperatic acids (medulla K+ yellow turning orange-red, P+ orange-yellow), other chemotypes contain psoromic and 2’-O-demethylpsoromic acids (medulla K-, P+ deep orange), or no lichen substances (medulla K-, P-).
Note: on branches of conifers in montane, cold-humid forests with frequent fog. Two dubious records from Campania (see Nimis 1993: 727, and Aprile & al. 2002) are not accepted here; some records from the Alps could refer to U. substerilis. For further details see Clerc (2016).
Growth form: Fruticose filamentous
Substrata: bark
Photobiont: green algae other than Trentepohlia
Reproductive strategy: mainly asexual, by soredia, or soredia-like structures (e.g. blastidia)

Commonnes-rarity: (info)

Alpine belt: absent
Subalpine belt: rather rare
Oromediterranean belt: absent
Montane belt: rare
Submediterranean belt: absent
Padanian area: absent
Humid submediterranean belt: extremely rare
Humid mediterranean belt: absent
Dry mediterranean belt: absent

pH of the substrata:

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Solar irradiation:

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Aridity:

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Eutrophication:

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Poleotolerance:

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Altitudinal distribution:

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Predictive model
Herbarium samples
Index Fungorum GBIF

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


Tiiu Tõrra; Owner: University of Tartu
Estonia.
Herbarium: TU (32849)
2007/04/26
Irregular and expanded, occasionally also bracelet-like soralia of U. lapponica (notice torn cortex around the soralia)


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


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


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


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_U/Textes_U/Usnea_perplexans.htm
France, 28/03/2016 - sur Quercus - Lot


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_U/Textes_U/Usnea_perplexans.htm
France, 28/03/2016 - sur Quercus - Lot


Courtesy Danièle et Olivier Gonnet - Source: https://www.afl-lichenologie.fr/Photos_AFL/Photos_AFL_U/Textes_U/Usnea_perplexans.htm
France, 28/03/2016 - sur Quercus - Lot