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Australian Biological Resources Study

 
 
Checklist of the Lichens of Australia and its Island Territories
     
Introduction | A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z | Oceanic Islands | References
     
     
Usnea himantodes Stirt.
     
  Scott. Naturalist (Perth)7: 75 (1883). T: Illawarra, N.S.W., 1882, W.Kirton s.n.; lecto: BM, fide J.Motyka, Usnea 2: (1937). ****Usnea neoguineensis Asahina, J. Jap. Bot. 43: 496 (1968). T: Morobe District, Papua New Guinea, 1965, S.Kurokawa 5787; holo: TNS. ****Usnea neoguineensis Asahina var. gracilior Asahina, J. Jap. Bot. 43: 497 (1968). T: Andandara, Eastern Highland District, Papua New Guinea, 1965, S.Kurokawa 6061; holo: TNS.  
     
  Thallus pendulous, to 40 (–100) cm long, grey-green to yellow-green; branching subdichotomous; secondary branching parallel; trunk pale to black; branches terete or becoming ridged, angular and alate, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, cracked into segments; apices attenuate; fibrils dense, often pectinate, rarely curved, tapered, usually 10–15 mm long, with or without papillae, punctiform pseudocyphellae and isidia; papillae also seen along ridges of older branches, pale, sometimes producing small pseudocyphellae. Isidia absent or rare; branchlets and soralia absent. Cortex dull. Medulla dense, narrow; axis 1/2–2/3 width of branch, sometimes porous or partly hollow in older branches, ochraceous yellow to brown. Apothecia not seen. CHEMISTRY: Cortex containing usnic acid. Medulla K+ bright yellow; containing stictic acid (major), constictic acid (major), menegazziaic acid (minor), cryptostictic acid (trace), norstictic acid (trace) and connorstictic acid (faint trace); occasionally with an additional unknown pigment.
     
  Occurs on the branches and trunks of trees in open forest and rainforest in subtropical and tropical, montane regions of eastern Qld and N.S.W. Also in equatorial Africa, Madagascar, Malesia, SE Asia, the Philippines and Taiwan.  
     
   
     
     
  Stevens (2004)  

Checklist Index
Introduction | A–D | E–O | P–R | S–Z | Oceanic Islands | References
 
 
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