vs Witches' Whiskers Lichen

Usnea cornuta compared with Usnea florida

Key Differences

• is Near Threatened while Witches' Whiskers Lichen is Vulnerable.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank		Witches' Whiskers Lichen
Kingdom same	Fungi (Fungi)	Fungi (Fungi)
Phylum same	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)
Class same	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)
Order same	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)
Family same	Parmeliaceae	Parmeliaceae
Genus same	Usnea	Usnea
Species	Usnea cornuta	Usnea florida

Evolutionary Relationship

and Witches' Whiskers Lichen share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Usnea.

Conservation Status

NT — Near Threatened

Witches' Whiskers Lichen

VU — Vulnerable

Physical Characteristics

Attribute		Witches' Whiskers Lichen
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Habitat

Native to Europe, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, and Sweden. Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Witches' Whiskers Lichen

Habitat

Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Usnea cornuta is a fruticose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae, assessed as Near Threatened (NT). It forms shrubby, branching thalli that hang from tree branches and twigs, typically in humid forest environments. Like all Usnea species, it is highly sensitive to air pollution, particularly sulfur dioxide, making it a useful bioindicator of air quality.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇪 Sweden