Usnea longissima (Methuselah’s beard lichen)

Usnea longissima Ach.

Methuselah’s beard lichen, beard lichen

Kingdom	Fungi	Mushrooms, lichens, gel fungi, yeasts, and molds; also called eukaryotes
Division	Ascomycota	Sac fungi
Subdivision	Pezizomycotina	Sac fungi with filaments
Class	Lecanoromycetes	“Lichenized” fungi
Order	Lecanorales	Mostly lichen-forming fungi
Suborder	Lecanorineae	Lichens
Family	Parmeliaceae	Includes many common lichens such as Xanthoparamelia, Usnea, Parmotrema, and Hypotrachyna
Genus	Usnea	From Arabic Ushnah, “lichen,” which was translated to Latin by Ebubekir Muhammed bin Zekeriya Razi
Species	longissima	Very long

About plant names...

Methuselah’s beard lichen, or another of the beard lichens, probably prompted J.R.R. Tolkein’s imagination when he created ents—ancient, slow-moving tree creatures in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Identification: All beard lichens are fruticose—that is, shaped like tiny branching shrubs. But only Methuselah’s beard lichen hangs in such long strips, pale yellowish-green in color, looking much like Spanish moss. Strands can reach lengths of almost 20' (6.1 m). The central chord is brownish or pinkish in color. Like many lichens, they are sensitive to pollution, especially to sulfur oxides released by some manufacturing processes, and populations are declining.

Online References:

Usnea longissima at Stephen and Sylvia Sharnoff's lichen.com site

Usnea longissima on the Environmental Protection Agency's Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants list

Usnea longissima on eseis.ut.ee

References:

Walewski, Joe, Lichens of the North Woods, Kollath+Stensaas Publishing, 2007, p. 139

Usnea longissima description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

4/3/2010 · Owl’s Head Lighthouse, Owl’s Head, Maine
≈ 8 × 5" (19 × 13 cm) ID is uncertain

4/3/2010 · Owl’s Head Lighthouse, Owl’s Head, Maine
≈ 9 × 6" (23 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain

4/3/2010 · Birch Point Beach State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine
≈ 11 × 10" (28 × 24 cm) ID is uncertain