In a previous article I looked at various families of lichens and how they each indicate how clean the air is where they are found.
Out of three main families we found that the lichens which require the cleanest air to survive and thrive in are the Fruticose lichens, so-called because they are bushy in shape and structure, having lots of ‘branches’ which gives them more surface area to breath.
A large number of fruticose lichens, over 600 species worldwide, of which 32 are found in Europe, belong in the Usnea genus, (Usnea coming from the Arabic for ‘moss’; ʾušna) and a common name for many similar looking lichens which fall in this genus is ‘Old Man’s Beard’.
Old Man’s Beard
Old Mans beard grows in long unruly strands, a bit like the beard of an old king or hermit, hence its common name, and the easiest way to identify it is by gently teasing apart the ‘beard’ to see if the strands have an elastic white core to them. These strands possess many properties which have long been known to folklore, and more which are being discovered by modern science.
Uses in the field
Although we are becoming increasingly disconnected with nature and forgetting many of the things we learnt over thousands of years of living with, rather than apart from the natural world, there are still many resources which we know how to utilise and cultivate for our survival, Old man’s beard lichen is one of these.
At one time these fibrous, fuzzy growths were used to staunch wounds, applied ‘in the field’, which is military speak for away from a hospital or clinic, they can be used not only to absorb the seeping fluids of battle, or hunting, wounds but also to disinfect them too.
This was simply common knowledge in the past, without any means of knowing exactly how it came to be so useful for this purpose, but now it has been found that lichens of the Usnea species contain acids and polysaccharides that are anathema to harmful bacteria, funghi, parasites and viruses, having a repellent, if not downright deadly, effect on all those nasty things which would otherwise infect and multiply in an open wound.
Old man’s beard would also be applied internally, through being boiled or ground up and added to various tinctures and concoctions, as it is effective against infections and ailments such as bronchitis and pneumonia, as well as for vaginal, skin and urinary infections. In both cases it also reinforces and enhances the bodies immune system, as well as hurting the things it is fighting against.
Science turns its gaze
A much overlooked threat currently facing the human race and one that could have some serious repercussions should we meet it head on without any preparation, is that of diseases which are resistant to our current antibiotics. In some of the worst-case scenarios being put forward by scientists this could lead to medical progress being knocked back a few hundred years and with us being placed in the position where our only recourse would be to ancient knowledge, such as the medicinal uses of lichens.
Research has been carried out into the properties of several species of Usnea and so far it has been found to be more effective than penicillin for treating several bacterial infections, including those caused by Klebsiella pneumonia and Staphylococcus aureus, two strains which are particularly worrisome, being major players in most urinary infections, wound infections and pneumonia. Usnea is also a potential cure for Colon cancer , causing ‘apoptosis’, or death of growing cancer cells.
The doctrine of signatures
An ancient ‘doctrine’, or set of principles, that used to be widely used in medicinal herbology and that is currently having a bit of a resurgence is the ‘doctrine of signatures’. This is a belief that the purposes of flora and fauna can be determined through their appearance.
With Old man’s beard and other fruticose lichens it can be observed that when the strands are teased and pulled apart there is a great deal of resemblance between the trunks and branches that the lichen uses to breath, as of course all lichens obtain their water and nutrients from the air, and the airways, the trachea and bronchioles, of the lung.
As both the human lung and the lichen both require clean, unpolluted air to thrive, and Usnea is so useful in healing the lungs, this seems to be the perfect example of how this principle works, and of how we should remember the wisdom we have gained over the eons through being connected to, rather than remote from, the natural world.
A B-H
Northwest Nature and History 