Genus Usnea (Noun)
Meaning
Widely distributed lichens usually having a greyish or yellow pendulous freely branched thallus.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- Usnea is a lichen genus common in Europe, North America, and Asia, with a variety of species that can thrive in diverse environments.
- In the polar regions of the Arctic, genus Usnea lichen grows as a yellow to greyish-green, freely branched thallus.
- The genus Usnea, also known as 'old man's beard,' features distinctive hanging fronds often resembling beards in woodland landscapes.
- Studies of lichen distributions suggest genus Usnea thrives across broad environmental ranges from coastal regions to tropical and alpine biomes.
- While searching for species to observe, biologists came across the genus Usnea hanging from the branches of the tall oak trees in the nearby forest.