Yellow-Twist Horsehair
(Bryoria tortuosa )
Parmeliaceae 
Photo by Sylvia and Stephen Sharnoff
Description: A pendent, filamentous lichen, 4 to 12 inches (10-30 cm) long. The color is dull, dark, reddish-brown to duskey yellow-brown or occasionally bright greenish yellow. It frequently has tiny greenish-yellow strips. Branches are uneven in diameter, strongly twisted and toruous, minutely pitted and often flattened; 0.4-1 mm in diameter. This lichen looks like long, matted auburn hair. Distribution: In California, it is found in the Northwestern California & Cascade Ranges Floristic Provinces. Habitat: On trunks and branches of trees in well-lit, open stands, most prequently on oaks and pines, although it has been collected on a large variety of trees and shrubs. Flowering Period: This species relies predominantly on thallus fragmentation, a form of vegetative propagation, for reproduction. Similar Plants: Bryoria fremontii Status: BLM Sensitive | 