About Usnea scabrida Taylor
Usnea scabrida Taylor is a foliose lichen that grows from holdfasts attached to trees. It is characterized by a very pale grayish-yellowish green color, a slender, pendant, and shrubby growth form. It branches from the base, with unequal branching. The cortex of this lichen contains usnic acid, and the medulla contains scabrosins. It was formally described as a new species in 1844 by English botanist Thomas Taylor. Usnea scabrida is found in southwest Western Australia, and is also present across Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland in Australia, as well as occurring outside of Australia. A subspecies, Usnea scabrida subsp. elegans, occurs in eastern Australia.
