Usnea angulata
Biostatus
Native
Current conservation status
2018 | Not Threatened | Qualifiers: SO
Category
Lichen
Structural class
Lichens - Fruticose
Lichen substrates
Corticolous (bark, wood), Saxicolous (rock)
Substrate details
Corticolous, rarely saxicolous
Detailed taxonomy
Genus
Family
Synonyms
Usnea torquescens Stirt.
Endemic taxon
No
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Other information
Cultural Use/Importance
This species had a traditional use by Māori as both nappies and sanitary pads (the late Irihapeti Ramdsen, pers. comm.). Traditional use of species of Usnea by Maori (referred to as either angiangi or kohukohu) is discussed by Riley (1994) and Fuller et al. (2004) under the blanket name Usnea barbata (a Northern Hemisphere lichen not present in New Zealand), but it is likely that several, well-developed and plentiful species, including U. angulata, were used for medicinal purposes, utilising the antibiotic properties of usnic acid.
Etymology
angulata: From the Latin angulatus ‘cornered or angular’
NVS code
The National Vegetation Survey (NVS) Databank is a physical archive and electronic databank containing records of over 94,000 vegetation survey plots - including data from over 19,000 permanent plots. NVS maintains a standard set of species code abbreviations that correspond to standard scientific plant names from the Ngä Tipu o Aotearoa - New Zealand Plants database.
USNANG
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Fuller R.J.M.; Buchanan P.K.; and Roberts M. 2004: Maori knowledge of fungi / Matauranga o Nga Harore. In: McKenzie, E.H.C. (Ed.) Introduction. Fungi of New Zealand/Ngā Harore o Aotearoa Volume 1. Fungal Diversity Research Series 14: 81–118.
Galloway D.J. 1985: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens. Wellington: PD Hasselberg, Government Printer. 662 pp.
Galloway D.J. 2007: Flora of New Zealand: Lichens, including lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. 2nd edition. Lincoln, Manaaki Whenua Press. 2261 pp.
Riley M. 1994: Māori healing and herbal: New Zealand ethnobotanical sourcebook. Paraparaumu, Viking Sevenseas NZ.