Usnea strigosa

Description:
Fruticose, shrubby, pale green lichen. Thallus (vegetative tissue) is shrubby with multiple branches, primary branches sometimes ending in apothecia. Usnea strigosa is a genus within the Parmeliaceae family of lichens. Lichens are composite organisms comprised of fungal filaments being inhabited by algae or cyanobacteria. Most members of this particular family have symbiotic relationships with green algae. These algae perform photosynthesis and provide a food source for the fungus.

Habitat:
On leaf litter on the floor of a mixed hardwood/coniferous forest in Northwest Georgia.