In folklore, it is the beard of a wizard. Usnea barbata has a body that is pale greyish-green. With long, hair-like strands that hang from the branches. Like a tangled beard. The strands are branching and flexible. Often reaching ten to twenty centimetres in length. They are covered in tiny, fuzzy projections called fibrils. Giving them a soft, hair-like texture. It is the lichen of the haunted tree. The one that makes the forest look old and wise. The one that seems to whisper when the wind blows. What makes it special is the shape. The usnea beard lichen is a fruticose lichen. Meaning it grows upright but then hangs down. Like a pendant or a curtain. Its strands are attached to the bark at a single point. Then hang free. Swaying in the wind. It looks like Spanish moss. Like the beard of a wizard. Like the hair of a ghost. It is the lichen of the hanging garden. The one that turns the tree into a living sculpture. The one that makes you think of Merlin and magic. The strands are elastic and tough. Not brittle like other fruticose lichens. They can be stretched and twisted without breaking. The central core is a dense cord of fungal hyphae. Surrounded by a layer of algae and an outer cortex. It is a master of flexibility. A plant that bends without breaking. A lichen that can survive the wind and the rain. Biologically, the usnea beard lichen is a partnership. A fungus and an alga living together. The fungus provides structure and protection. The alga provides food through photosynthesis. The usnea beard lichen is also a bioindicator. It is sensitive to air pollution. Particularly sulphur dioxide. In polluted air, it dies. It is the canary of the canopy. The one that tells us whether the air is healthy. The one that vanishes when we poison the sky. To find usnea beard lichen is to find the hanging hair on the branch. It is pale, tangled, and soft. A living beard on the tree. You can run your fingers through the strands. Feel the soft, fuzzy texture. It is the lichen of the haunted tree. The one that makes the forest look old and wise. The one that proves that the cleanest air holds the strangest beauty. No recorded Māori name distinguishes the usnea beard lichen from other lichens. Lichens were generally called pūkohu or pukorokoro. The hanging, hair-like strands would have been noticed. It looked like an old man's beard. Like the hair of a spirit. No distinct name survives. The usnea beard lichen was sometimes used as a dye. The pale greenish pigment could be extracted. Used to colour fibres. Though it was not as vibrant as other lichens.