Description
Product
Dried , whole Usnea Lichen
Lichen is very light weight, and voluminous.
1.5 oz fills a 9"x6" ziplock bag
4 oz fills a 12"x9" ziplock bag
8 oz fills a 14"x12" ziplock bag
Botany
Genus: Usnea
Species: sp.
Family: Parmeliaceae
Product Origin
Oregon, USA
Sustainably wild harvested in Oregon by collectors with decades of experience in properly identifying, collecting, drying and processing wild plants.
The permitted harvests are done in full compliance with all USDA Forest Service collection rules and regulations.
Only small quantities are harvested.
Uses
Usnea Lichen, also known as Old Man's Beard, contains the compound Usnic acid , which is used in the commercial manufacture of herbal, cosmetic and fragrance products.
Usnea lichen can be used in textile dying, and produces shades ranging from orange, yellow, green, blue, to purple , depending on dye mordants used.
Usnea lichen is also used ornamentally in floral decorations.
Habitat
Usnea is a fruticose lichen that displays a pale green, soft, lush, hairy appearance during wet seasons, and is pale and dry during dry seasons.
Also known as Old man's beard, Usnea lichen is a complex organism created by a symbiosis between a fungus, and a green algae partner, living in a symbiotic relationship with cyanobacteria.
It grows very slowly, on naturally dying trees in old growth forests, and is highly susceptible to air pollution. Due to old growth forest habitat loss it is becoming rare to find.
Lichen cannot be cultivated.
Precautions
This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, and is not a replacement for professional health advice.
