Usnea longissima Ach.
Methuselah’s beard lichen, beard lichen
Methuselah’s beard lichen, or another of the beard lichens, probably prompted J.R.R. Tolkein’s imagination when he created ents—ancient, slow-moving tree creatures in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Identification: All beard lichens are fruticose—that is, shaped like tiny branching shrubs. But only Methuselah’s beard lichen hangs in such long strips, pale yellowish-green in color, looking much like Spanish moss. Strands can reach lengths of almost 20′ (6.1 m). The central chord is brownish or pinkish in color. Like many lichens, they are sensitive to pollution, especially to sulfur oxides released by some manufacturing processes, and populations are declining.
Habitats: Canopies of coniferous trees, primarily those found in old growth Douglas fir forests and near bodies of water.
Online References:
References:
4/3/2010 · Owl’s Head Lighthouse, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 13 cm) 
ID is uncertain 
4/3/2010 · Owl’s Head Lighthouse, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm) ID is uncertain 
4/3/2010 · Birch Point Beach State Park, Owl’s Head, Maine · ≈ 11 × 10″ (28 × 24 cm) ID is uncertain 
| Kingdom | Fungi | Mushrooms, lichens, gel fungi, yeasts, and molds; also called eukaryotes |
| Division | Ascomycota | Sac fungi |
| Subdivision | Pezizomycotina | Sac fungi with filaments |
| Class | Lecanoromycetes | “Lichenized” fungi |
| Order | Lecanorales | Mostly lichen-forming fungi |
| Suborder | Lecanorineae | Lichens |
| Family | Parmeliaceae | Includes many common lichens such as Xanthoparamelia, Usnea, Parmotrema, and Hypotrachyna |
| Genus | Usnea | From Arabic Ushnah, “lichen,” which was translated to Latin by Ebubekir Muhammed bin Zekeriya Razi |
| Species | longissima | Very long |
Usnea longissima description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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