Description: Bear in mind that most records of this species in Ireland now appear to be those of the lookalike U. esperantiana (described elsewhere). The heavily textured main stems of U. fulvoreagens differ from this species in the abundance of a thick hard pimply cortex from which small spiny fibrils and soredia arise. Soralia are also common on the lateral branches. There are no isidia. The thallus hangs down like a mop of barbed wire with a herringbone structure to the branches; these terminate in upturned ends like fishing hooks. Medulla turns K+ red, Pd+ orange. It grows mostly on trees in quality wood pasture situations. In Ireland, it is doubtfully that the species is present; the distributional data is probably corrupted by previous misidentifications.

Key Identification Features:

• Main stems thickened by a tough froth of papillae, mixed with soredia and fibrils; isidia absent
• Thallus like barbed wire (2–10cm long), stems with herringbone-like structure and with hooked ends.

Original text submitted by Vince J. Giavarini

Distribution Map from NBN: Usnea fulvoreagens at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Usnea fulvoreagens at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.