Alectoria

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Alectoria spp.
FOLK NAMES: Lappo [name also applied to other Alectoria-like and Usnea-like beard lichens] (Saami: northern        Scandinavia)

USES:   Animal forage (Saami: northern Scandinavia)

Alectoria spp. and other Alectoria-like and Usnea-like beard lichens are called Lappo by the Saami of northern Scandinavia. The Saami recognize that these lichens are quite liked by reindeer but do not form a large part of their diet. SEE: Cladina spp. for more information on this.

Alectoria species contain usnic acid and sometimes orcinol depsides (Brodo et al. 2001).

Alectoria jubata
NOTES:   This name is common in ethnographic literature but is no longer a valid taxonomic group. The name Alectoria jubata may have usually been applied to Bryoria fremontii in North America, but it was probably also generally applied to any species of Bryoria (Brodo and Hawksworth 1977). The genus Bryoria includes 24 North American species (Brodo et al. 2001). In Europe Alectoria jubata has been called a synonym with Alectoria fuscescens and Bryoria fuscescens.

SEE:   Bryoria fremontii

Alectoria nigricans
[“Gray witch’s hair”]

FOLK NAMES: Tingaujaq [name also applied to other “caribou moss”, Alectoria ochroleuca, Bryocaulon divergens, and Bryoria nitidula] (Barrens-Keewatin, Baffin Island, Ungava-Labrador, and Greenland Inuit); Tingaujaq [name probably also applied to other “dry black moss”, Bryocaulon divergens and Bryoria nitidula] (North Slope Inuit)

USES:   Animal feed (Barrens-Keewatin, Baffin Island, Ungava-Labrador, and Greenland Inuit), Tinder (North Slope Inuit)

Alectoria nigricans, Alectoria ochroleuca, Bryocaulon divergens, and Bryoria nitidula were called Tingaujaq by the Barrens-Keewatin, Baffin Island, Ungava-Labrador, and Greenland Inuit of the North American arctic (Wilson, 1979). These lichens were known to be the favorite food of young caribou, and children would use them to lure in fawns so that they could touch them (Wilson, 1979). The North Slope Inuit from the north coast of Alaska call a “dry black moss” (probably Alectoria nigricans, Bryocaulon divergens, and/or Bryoria nitidula) by the same name, and they used it as tinder (Wilson, 1979).

Alectoria nigricans contains alectorialic acid, and may also contain thamnolic and barbatolic acid (Brodo and Hawksworth 1977).

Alectoria ochroleuca
[“Green witch’s hair”]

FOLK NAMES: Tingaujaq [name also applied to other “caribou moss”, Alectoria nigricans, Bryocaulon divergens, and Bryoria nitidula] (Barrens-Keewatin, Baffin Island, Ungava-Labrador, and Greenland Inuit)

USES:   Animal feed (Barrens-Keewatin, Baffin Island, Ungava-Labrador, and Greenland Inuit), Molasses (northern Russia).

Alectoria ochroleuca, Alectoria nigricans, Bryocaulon divergens, and Bryoria nitidula were called Tingaujaq by the Barrens-Keewatin, Baffin Island, Ungava-Labrador, and Greenland Inuit of the North American arctic (Wilson, 1979). These lichens were known to be the favorite food of young caribou, and children would use them to lure in fawns so that they could touch them (Wilson, 1979).

Alectoria ochroleuca, along with several other lichens, has also been used to produce molasses in northern Russia. SEE: Cladina spp. for further notes on using lichens for molasses.

Alectoria ochroleuca contains usnic acid (Brodo and Hawksworth 1977), which is known to be one of the stronger lichen antibiotics (Lauterwein et al. 1995). It may also contain alectoronic acid, chloroatranorin, barbatic acid, diffractaic acid, and thamnolic acid (Brodo and Hawksworth 1977).

Alectoria sarmentosa
[“Witch’s hair”]

FOLK NAMES: Suts’wakt [name also applied to Usnea spp.] or Ipts-aak [lit. “limb moss”, name also applied to mosses growing on the tree branch] (Bella Coola); P’u7up [name also applied to any lichen or moss] (Nitinaht)

USES:   Decoration (Bella Coola, Secwepemc, Nuxalk), Medicine (Bella Coola), Clothing (Interior Salish), Fiber (Nitinaht, Sechelt, Haida)

Alectoria sarmentosa, Usnea spp., and Bryoria spp. were used by the Stl’atl’imx and other Interior Salish peoples for weaving clothing such as ponchos and footwear (Turner 1998). The lichen was usually interwoven with stronger materials such as silverberry bark. Clothing made from such lichen was considered to be of low quality, and was usually worn by those who couldn’t obtain skins to use instead.

The Secwepemc (Turner 1998), Nuxalk (Turner 1998), and Bella Coola (Turner 1973) use Alectoria sarmentosa and Usnea spp. as false whiskers and artificial hair for decorating dance masks, and especially for children masquerading.

The Sechelt used Alectoria sarmentosa and Usnea spp. to put on a fire when they wanted smoke (Turner 1998). The Haida used them for bedding when they were camping (Turner 1998).

Among the Nitinaht, Alectoria sarmentosa and Usnea spp. are valued for their absorbent qualities. They are used for wiping salmon, and as sanitary napkins and baby diapers (Turner et al. 1983). The Sechelt also used these same lichens as baby diapers (Turner 1998).

The Nitinaht used Alectoria sarmentosa and Usnea spp. for dressing wounds (Turner et al. 1983). These same lichens, if found growing on alder, were used by the Bella Coola to poultice sores and boils (Smith 1928, cited in Turner 1973). These lichens were also used by the Haida to strain hot pitch to remove impurities before it was used as medicine (Turner 1998).

The related species Alectoria vancouverensis occurs in coastal areas of B. C. and was probably not differentiated from Alectoria sarmentosa by the First People’s of these areas. Alectoria sarmentosa contains usnic acid (Brodo and Hawksworth 1977), which is known to be one of the stronger lichen antibiotics (Lauterwein et al. 1995). It may also contain alectoronic acid, a-collatolic acid, atranorin, barbatic acid, squamatic acid, and thamnolic acid (Brodo and Hawksworth 1977).

Related genera
Bryoria