Usnea intermedia (A. Massal.) Jatta

    Thallus tufted, usually pendent, 5-15 cm long, branches highly ramified, arising from a black holdfast, lateral branches not constricted towards their basis, terete, sometimes spindle-shaped with some transverse rings, surface papillate and tuberculate, numerous fibrils, 1-6 mm long perpendicular to branches, overall colour pale grey-greenish when moist, pale grey-yellowish when dry. Apothecia terminal or laminal, 2-12 mm diam., disc flat, white-pink, papyraceous, radiating cilia from the margin, 3-5 mm long. Ascii 8-spored,  45-55 x 15-18 µm according to our measures. Ascospores  colourless, broadly ellipsoid to ovoid, 7-9 x 5-6 µm according to literature, 7-9 x 5-6 µm according to our measures. Photobiont: trebouxioid. C-, K+ yellow > red, KC-, Pd-. Montane, rather rare, in windy and humid valleys of medium-altitude mountains on barks of deciduous and coniferous trees. Very similar to Usnea florida; the latter is more oceanic and found in plains, Pd+ yellow especially on the disc of apothecia, ascopores larger.