Best Fruticose

Cladonia rangiferina, known as reindeer lichen, is a pale gray, fruticose lichen that forms dense, repeatedly branching tufts on soil, humus, and other acidic substrates. It is widespread in arctic, subarctic, and boreal regions, where it is an important winter forage for reindeer and caribou. The s...

Cetraria islandica, commonly called Iceland moss, is a lichen with erect or spreading, leafy, branching lobes that usually grows on soil in arctic, subarctic, and alpine environments. Despite its common name, it is not a moss. The lichen contains polysaccharides such as lichenan and isolichenan and...

Evernia prunastri, commonly called oakmoss, is a gray-green, bushy fruticose lichen that grows on the bark and branches of trees, especially in temperate woodland. It is not a moss and is classified as a lichen formed by a fungus living with photosynthetic partners. Extracts from the species have lo...

Letharia vulpina is a fruticose lichen commonly called wolf lichen. It has a yellow to yellow-green, branching thallus and occurs in western North America, where it grows on trees and other woody surfaces. The lichen contains vulpinic acid and has a documented history of use in poison mixtures inten...

Cladonia cristatella, widely known as British soldiers lichen, is a fruticose lichen with slender, pale gray-green stalks topped by conspicuous red apothecia. The red structures produce spores and account for the common name's reference to red-capped soldiers. It commonly grows on acidic soil, humus...

Teloschistes flavicans is a fruticose lichen with a yellow to orange, branching thallus. It grows on bark and other exposed surfaces, especially in humid coastal and maritime habitats, and is distributed in parts of Europe, Macaronesia, and other regions with suitable climates. Its branched form and...

Usnea barbata, commonly called old man's beard, is a hair-like fruticose lichen that forms gray-green strands hanging from the branches of trees. It is an epiphytic organism, meaning that it uses the supporting plant for attachment rather than drawing nourishment from its tissues. Usnea species are...

Cladonia stellaris is a fruticose lichen in the genus Cladonia, commonly called reindeer lichen or reindeer moss. It forms pale gray to whitish, highly branched cushions or rounded clumps and is associated with open, acidic, nutrient-poor ground in northern forests, heathlands, and tundra. It is an...

Alectoria sarmentosa is a gray-green, hairlike fruticose lichen commonly called witch's hair or beard lichen. It grows as long, pendulous strands on the branches of conifers and other trees in boreal and montane forests of North America and Eurasia. The lichen forms part of the winter forage availab...

Ramalina menziesii is a gray-green, branching fruticose lichen commonly called lace lichen. It grows epiphytically, hanging from the branches of trees in western North America, especially in forests and woodlands with suitable humidity. California designated it the official state lichen in 2015, mak...

Pseudevernia furfuracea is a branched, shrubby fruticose lichen that grows on the bark and branches of trees in temperate regions. It is commonly called tree moss and has gray-green upper surfaces with darker lower branches. Extracts from the species have been used as raw materials in perfumery, whe...

Bryoria fremontii is a dark, hairlike fruticose lichen native to western North America and commonly known as wila. It grows mainly on the branches of coniferous trees. Indigenous peoples of the region have traditionally used it as food after preparation such as boiling or leaching, processes that he...

Cladonia pleurota is a species of lichen in the genus Cladonia. It has an upright, fruticose growth form with branching or cup-like podetia and is distinguished by red apothecia, which are reproductive structures that may occur at the ends or margins of the podetia. It is a ground-growing lichen ass...

Cladonia bellidiflora is a fruticose lichen in the genus Cladonia, with a small primary thallus and upright stalk-like podetia. The podetia are typically pale green to yellow-green and terminate in red apothecia, which give the species its distinctive appearance. It grows on soil, moss, decaying woo...

Cladonia floerkeana is a species of fruticose lichen in the genus Cladonia. Its upright podetia are commonly topped by bright red apothecia, the structures that produce sexual spores, giving the lichen its red-fruited appearance. It grows on acidic, nutrient-poor substrates such as heathland soil, p...

Cladonia coccifera is a fruticose lichen in the genus Cladonia, recognized by upright podetia that may be cup-shaped and bear vivid red apothecia. It occurs on acidic, nutrient-poor ground, including heathland, moorland, peat, and moss-covered soil, particularly in temperate parts of Europe and else...

Teloschistes exilis is a species of fruticose lichen in the genus Teloschistes. It has a slender, hair-like thallus formed from narrow, branching filaments and is recognizable by its orange coloration. The species is associated with twigs and branches rather than soil, and its growth form is adapted...

Thamnolia vermicularis is a fruticose lichen with erect or partly decumbent, cylindrical branches that are usually white or cream-colored. The hollow-looking, worm-shaped tubes may form loose tufts, and the pointed branches can vary considerably in length and thickness. It is distributed across Arct...

Cladonia portentosa is a bushy, fruticose lichen commonly known as reindeer moss or reindeer lichen. It forms pale gray or yellowish, repeatedly branched tufts on acidic soils, especially in heathlands, moors, bog margins, and coastal dunes. The species is part of the ground vegetation of northern a...

Cladonia arbuscula is a fruticose lichen in the reindeer-lichen group. It grows as upright, shrub-like tufts with many fine branches, usually pale gray to yellowish in color, on acidic soils in boreal forests, heaths, and tundra. Its ground-level growth is eaten by reindeer and related caribou popul...

Letharia columbiana is a fruticose lichen in the genus Letharia, native to western North America. Its branched, cylindrical branches form a bushy yellow-green to greenish thallus, and it commonly grows as an epiphyte on conifer bark and wood. Its form and color can vary with age and exposure, so fie...

Ephebe lanata is a fruticose lichen formed through a partnership with cyanobacteria. It has a dark, hair-like, filamentous thallus and is associated with wet siliceous rock in or beside cold, fast-flowing mountain streams, where repeated spray or immersion creates conditions unlike those of most tre...

Sphaerophorus globosus, commonly called globe lichen or coral lichen, is a fruticose lichen with branching, three-dimensional growth. Its branches often end in or include rounded swellings, giving the thallus a coral-like appearance. The species occurs in moist, cool forests and montane or boreal en...

Sulcaria sulcata is a fruticose lichen with slender, pendulous branches marked by deep longitudinal grooves. It is an epiphyte that grows on the bark or branches of trees, especially in moist forests of western North America, including the Pacific Northwest. Its hanging habit, hair-like form, and fu...

Usnea florida is a fruticose beard lichen that forms bushy, branching tufts on the bark and branches of trees. Like other members of Usnea, it has threadlike branches with a central elastic cord inside the outer algal layer, a structure that helps distinguish beard lichens from superficially similar...

Cladonia macilenta, commonly called lipstick lichen, is a fruticose lichen with slender, usually unbranched yellowish podetia. Its identifying feature is the presence of small red apothecia at the tips of these structures. It is associated with bark and other woodland substrates, particularly in Eur...

Ramalina fraxinea is a large, pale green fruticose lichen with broad, flattened branches. It grows as an epiphyte on tree bark and is associated with woodlands where suitable, relatively nutrient-rich substrates are available. The species is commonly discussed in European lichen surveys because of i...

Usnea filipendula is a pendant fruticose lichen with long, hair-like branches that hang from tree limbs. It is commonly associated with humid woodland habitats, including forests in the United Kingdom. As a beard lichen, it belongs to a group of epiphytic lichens recognized by their filamentous grow...

Dactylina arctica is a fruticose lichen with hollow, finger-like lobes. It is associated with Arctic tundra and other circumpolar habitats, where its inflated form is adapted to exposed cold environments. The species is also recognized as a winter food source for caribou, linking it to the ecology o...