Usnea pallidocarpa Wirtz & Lumbsch  

Mycobank MB 517816

Thallus approx. 5–7 cm, arising from a proliferating, unpigmented or brownish holdfast with main branches tapered towards the holdfast; erect, shrubby, subdichotomous to richly branched with terete branches; thallus surface yellow-green, conspicuously smooth and glossy, sparsely faveolated; main branches unpigmented, side branches ± variegated with bands of black pigment. Compressed morphotypes with thick, clawed, dark pigmented side branches occurring (as in U. perpusilla). Cortex annulations occurring. No papillae. Fibrils very rare. Medulla dense. Axis thick, occupying (34)–53–(71) % of branch diameter. Soredia and isidiomorphs unknown. Apothecia frequent, subterminal, rarely terminal, occasionally in series; cupular, getting mostly flat or undulate with maturity. Disc light yellow to brownish sometimes with black blotches or shaded; excipulum smooth, margin thin, often excluded, with few rays. Usneoid ascospores 8/ascus, simple, ellipsoid, hyaline, with no taxonomic value. Photobiont trebouxioid. Secondary chemistry (TLC): inconsistent hypostrepsilic acid chemosyndrome (Elix et al. 2007).