SPECIES FACT SHEET
Common Name: Zebra beard, banded beard
Scientific Name: Usnea lambii
Recent synonyms: Neuropogon lambii
Division: Ascomycota
Class: Ascomycetes
Order: Lecanorales
Family: Parmeliaceae
Taxonomic Note: Usnea sphacelata (synonym: Neuropogon sulphureus)
is a complex of at least two bipolar species and probably more. Material
from the Pacific Northwest is referable to Usnea lambii, based on
Neuropogon lambii (Imshaug 1954). The combination Usnea lambii has
not been validly published but is now in general use as a provisional
name (see Wirtz et al. 2008) and is used here.
Technical Description: Thallus bushlike (fruticose), 1.5-2.0 (5.0) cm
long, erect; main stem (axis) constricted at the base, then spreading on
the substrate into a orange-brown or blackened basal holdfast; branches
elongate, sparsely to richly forked; branching more or less dichotomous
and regular; branches round in cross-section, striped (variegated) with
black bands but usually completely violet-black toward branch tips;
short, perpendicular branch-like projections (fibrils) usually absent.
Cortex variable in thickness, surface somewhat glossy to dull, waxy,
occasionally pitted (foveolate), smooth or rarely with a few blackened
papillae; main and secondary branches sometimes segmented by cracks
in the cortex (annular cracks). Medulla loose (lax) in cross section;
central cord (axis) thin, white, cartilaginous, 2 - 4 (5) % of branch
diameter. Soralia yellow to black, numerous, mostly confined to distal
branches; flat, convex or tuberculate at maturity; becoming wider than
the branch, soredia granular and often with blackened, partially
corticate, isidia-like structures (isidiomorphs). Apothecia very rare,
yellow-black to black. Photosynthetic partner (photobiont, phycobiont) is
the green alga Trebouxia. (Imshaug 1954; Wirtz 2009).
Chemistry: Cortex, medulla and central axis P-, K-. (Imshaug 1954;
Wirtz 2009).
Distinctive characters: Erect, richly branched, striped with black bands
or more commonly purplish-black throughout toward branch tips,
branch surfaces mostly smooth, central axis white, soralia becoming
nodular and black-pigmented, on rocks in alpine habitats. Similar
species: Among fruticose lichens growng on alpine tundra, Usnea
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sphacelata is yellow-green variegated with black bands, and has branch
surfaces covered with blackening papillae. Bryoria nitidula has branches
and stems that are uniformly dark brown to black and it has numerous
spinules. Bryoria tenuis is usually erect, with apical branches paler than
the dark brown to black basal branches. Alectoria nigricans can be very
dark colored but has a paler base and raised white pseudocyphellae.
Cornicularia divergens is distinctly red-brown and has oval
pseudocyphellae.
Other descriptions and illustrations: Imshaug
(1954) (as Neuropogon lambii): 155; McCune & Goward (1995) (as Usnea
sphacelata): 175; McCune & Geiser (2009): (as Usnea lambii): 369;
Goward & Halonen (1999) (as Usnea sphacelata): 247, 262; McCune
(2005) (as Usnea sphacelata): 2; Riley (2006) (as Usnea sphacelata);
Sharnoff (2009).
Life History: Details for Usnea lambii are not documented. Apothecia are
very rare, therefore most dispersal must be by means of soredia and
fragmentation.
Range, Distribution, and Abundance: Bipolar, occurring in the Pacific
Northwest of North America, the high Andes of South America, New
Zealand, and circumpolar antarctic. In the Pacific Northwest, known only
from Oregon and Washington.
National Forests: documented on the Fremont-Winema, Gifford Pinchot,
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie (Douglas 1972; Weber 1973), Mt. Hood, and
Willamette NFs (Riley et al. 1995; McCune 2004), suspected in subalpine
to alpine habitats on the Olympic, Deschutes, Rogue-River/Siskiyou, and
Umpqua NFs. Documented on Mt. Rainier NP (Imshaug 1954, 1957).
BLM Districts: none documented. Suspected by Salem and Prineville
Districts.
Widespread globally but rare in the Pacific Northwest.
Habitat Associations: On acidic rocks and boulders in open subalpine
to alpine habitats. Where trees are present, forest types are Tsuga
mertensiana, Abies lasiocarpa, and Pinus albicaulis associations.
Threats: Except for overcollecting at known sites, threats are probably
few. Climate change may require reassessment of threats.
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Conservation Considerations: Revisit known localities and monitor the
status of populations. Search for new populations on federal and state
lands. Surveys in suitable habitat and protection of known sites should
be a priority. The best opportunity for conservation would be on federal
land and in state parks.
Conservation rankings: Global: G4G5; National: NNR. Oregon Natural
Heritage Information Center: List 3 (S1). Washington Natural Heritage
Program: SNR.
Preparer: John A. Christy, with edits from Daphne Stone
Date Completed: March 2009
References
Douglas, G.W. 1972. Lichens of the North Cascades Range, Washington.
Bryologist 77: 582-592.
Goward, T. & P. Halonen. 1999. Usnea. Pp. 247-264. In: Goward, T.
1999. The lichens of British Columbia. Part 2. Fruticose species.
British Columbia Ministry of Forests. 319 pp.
Imshaug, H.A. 1954. A new species of Neuropogon from the United
States. Rhodora 56: 154-157.
_______. 1957. Alpine lichens of the United States and adjacent Canada.
Bryologist 60: 177-272.
McCune, B. 2004. Lichen species groups in the Columbia Basin;
ecosystem functions and indicator values. Report to Eastside
Ecosystem Management Project. Oregon State University, Corvallis.
51 pp.
http://www.icbemp.gov/science/mccune.pdf.
Accessed 5 March 2009.
_______. 2005. Usnea in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University,
Corvallis. 17 pp.
http://oregonstate.edu/~mccuneb/Usnea.PDF.
Accessed 5 March 2009.
_______ & T. Goward. 1995. Macrolichens of the Northern Rocky
Mountains. Mad River Press, Arcata, California. 208 pp.
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_______ & L. Geiser. 2009. Macrolichens of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd
Edition. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis. 464 pp.
Oregon Natural Heritage Information Center. 2007. Rare, threatened and
endangered species of Oregon. Oregon Natural Heritage Information
Center, Oregon State University. Portland. 100 pp.
http://oregonstate.edu/ornhic/2007_t&e_book.pdf
Riley, J. 2006. Online photograph of Usnea lambii (as Usnea sphacelata).
Burke Museum, University of Washington, Seattle.
http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php
?ID=22041.
Accessed 5 March 2009.
_______, B. McCune & P. Neitlich. 1995. Range extension of Usnea
sphacelata in Oregon and Washington. Evansia 12: 24-26.
Sharnoff, S.D. 2009. Online photograph of Usnea lambii (as Usnea
sphacelata).
http://www.sharnoffphotos.com/lichensH/usnea_sphacelata.html.
Accessed 5 March 2009.
Washington Natural Heritage Program. 2007. Working list of rare lichens.
Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympia.
http://www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/lists/lichens.html.
Accessed 5 March 2009.
Weber, W.A. 1973. Rediscovery of Neuropogon lambii. Bryologist 76: 305.
Wirtz, N. 2009. Personal communication with John Christy. March 2009.
_______, C. Printzen & H.T. Lumbsch. 2008. The delimitation of Antarctic
and bipolar species of neuropogonoid Usnea (Ascomycota,
Lecanorales): a cohesion approach of species recognition for the
Usnea perpusilla complex. Mycological Research 112: 472–484.
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