More of a medicine than a "food"... but I have a photo so up it goes :) Usnea is a lichen that grows on trees (this one on Pines). Lichens lack the water-repellent covering that plants rely on to help them conserve water, so a lichen can absorb water and the nutrients it contains directly through its surface rather than through a root system as plants do. Some lichens of the genus Usnea are able to keep growing even when broken off from the parent thallus and are just draped over a branch or wire. Usnea's particularly efficient ability to absorb minerals from the air has significant implications for people. ** someone just msged me that this photo might not be old man's beard - the herbalist we went on a walk with claims it is - I've just hunted around the net to find out more info... Several photos look like this - there is also a plant called Old Man's Beard... I'll keep hunting around and will post another photo if I find this isn't the right thing but so far looking like it is.* Note: One of the best ways I know to positively ID the lichen (because there are look-alikes) is to gently pull a green thready bit apart until you can see the white inner core. If there’s no white inner core, it’s not Usnea.
Uses:
- usnea contains very strong antibacterial components that ware said to help prevent wounds from getting infected and, thereby, contributes to more rapid healing.
- In China, it is used to make decoctions in the treatment of bronchitis and is used as part of herbal cancer therapy, particularly for thyroid cancers.
- It contains Usnic Acid which is effective in treating uberculosis, staphylococcus, streptococcus, and pneumococcus
- Traditional Uses: cleanses lungs, resolves phlegm, controls bleeding, removes toxin
- The moistened herb also makes an excellent bandage to be used directly on the wound or affected area. (some may have a mild reaction to it on their skin if so - don't use it :) Usnea can be applied directly to an open wound in emergency situations, it will serve as an antimicrobial compress to stop bleeding and prevent infection.
Sources:
http://nature.ca/discover/treasures/plnts/tr3/usn_e.cfm
http://bearmedicineherbals.com/usnea-healing-from-the-forest.html
1 comment:
Hey, that is definitely Usnea, old mans beard is a common name and there are 300 species of usnea. The best way to check to be sure if it is an usnea is to scrape of some of the surface tissue and check for a chord that runs through the entire branch which all usnea species will have.
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