Usnea galapagona Truong & P. Clerc  

Mycobank MB 518904

Thallus fruticose, up to 8 cm long, erect and strongly shrubby, often with several attachment points. Base concolorous with thallus, usually with a reddish tinge. Branching distinctly anisotomic-dichotomous. Branches irregular to tapering, not constricted at their attachment point. Section of branches terete to slightly flattened or ridged. Terminal branches with few divisions and thickened at the tips. Fibrils few or absent. Papillae hemispherical, often numerous. Soralia minute, often aggregating in small packs or fusing thus looking like a large single soralia, developing on top of papillae or directly on the cortex ad initio, remaining plane with a distinct cortical margin, rarely becoming slightly stipitate or efflorescent, but never excavating. Isidiomorphs present, very small. Apothecia not seen. Cortex thick (15.5–19.5% of branch width, n = 10), very hard and vitreous in longitudinal section of branch. Medulla compact, usually very thin and almost indistinct (3–4.5%), rarely thicker (up to 10%) close to the base. Axis very thick (54.5–62%). Medulla K–, C–, P–. Secondary metabolites detected by thin layer chromatography (n = 9): usnic acid and an unknown compound reacting UV+ green after charring (RF classes: solvent A = 6; B = 3; C = 5).