Beard Lichen vs Blue Bugle

Usnea subscabrosa compared with Ajuga genevensis

Key Differences

• Beard Lichen is Not Evaluated while Blue Bugle is Critically Endangered.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Beard Lichen	Blue Bugle
Kingdom	Fungi (Fungi)	Plantae (plantas)
Phylum	Ascomycota (Sac Fungi)	Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants)
Class	Lecanoromycetes (Lecanoromycetes)	Magnoliopsida (Dicots)
Order	Lecanorales (Lecanorales)	Lamiales (Lamiales)
Family	Parmeliaceae	Lamiaceae
Genus	Usnea	Ajuga
Species	Usnea subscabrosa	Ajuga genevensis

Conservation Status

Beard Lichen

NE — Not Evaluated

Blue Bugle

CR — Critically Endangered

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Beard Lichen	Blue Bugle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Beard Lichen

Habitat

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

Range

Distributed across Norway, Portugal, and United States.

Blue Bugle

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Widely distributed across Asia (Uzbekistan), Europe (7 countries), and North America (Canada, United States). Currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Beard Lichen

The Beard Lichen (Usnea subscabrosa) is a species in the genus Usnea. Native to Europe and North America, inhabiting ecosystems characteristic of the region.

Blue Bugle

The Blue Bugle (Ajuga genevensis) is a species in the genus Ajuga. It is currently classified as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Found across multiple habitat types including temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, temperate coniferous forests, and boreal forests and taiga, among 8 distinct biome types within the Palearctic biogeographic realm. Populations are also fo

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 2 countries:

🇳🇴 Norway 🇺🇸 United States