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Usnea
Usnea spp.
Uses: Medicinal/Culinary
(Old man’s beard; Beard lichen) Usnea is a lichen, and like all lichens it is a symbiotic melding of two entirely different plants, a fungus and an alga. The hanging grey-green fronds of usnea form a dense net resembling hair, lending a romantic appearance to the fallen logs and trees that it grows on. It is the source of surprisingly potent antibiotics and antifungals, effective against a broad range of infections, from gangrene and staphyloccocus to tuberculosis. Usnic acid, the component responsible for the antiseptic and antibiotic effects, has become the most studied lichen compound. It is available commercially in skin creams, mouth washes and vaginal inserts. Although usnea is edible, topical application is the preferred mode of use due to usnea usnea’s ready ability to absorb and store lead and other toxins from the environment.
H6564 Bulk dried herb whole $27.00/100g, $204.00/1000g
Currency: United States Dollar

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