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Old Man's Beard

Fungi

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Old man's beard is the common name for lichens of the genus Usnea, pale greenish-gray, fruticose lichens that hang in long, hair-like, branching strands from tree branches and bark in forests worldwide. Like many lichens, it is highly sensitive to air pollution and largely absent from heavily polluted areas, making it a useful bioindicator of air quality, and it has a long history of traditional use for its antimicrobial properties in treating wounds.

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