Usnea Double Extraction
Usnea, also known as Old Man’s Beard, is not a plant but a lichen— a symbiotic relationship between an algae and a fungus. Lichens appear to be a single plant, but they are really fungus and algae that grow together. The botanical name is Usnea spp, but there are many different species in this genus all of which are medicinal. The botanical name is also the common name: simply called “usnea”. Many refer to this lichen as “Old Man’s Beard” however, like many common names, that can refer to various plants. So the botanical name is always the most accurate. Usnea barbata is one of the most well-known species, however, the various species of usnea are difficult to distinguish from one another. The good news is they are considered to have equivalent medicinal uses. The best way to positively identify usnea is to gently pull apart the strands and see…