Parmelia squarrosa

Parmelia squarrosa, commonly known as the bottlebrush shield lichen, is a species of foliose lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. It occurs in east Asia, Europe, and eastern North America, where it typically grows on tree bark, much less frequently on rocks, and rarely on moss. Because of its abundance, widespread distribution, and stable populations, it has been assessed as a species of least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Parmelia saxatilis is quite similar in appearance Parmelia squarrosa and the latter was quite often confused with the former, especially in herbarium collections. Molecular phylogenetic analysis proved the genetic distinctness between the two species, which are morphologically distinguished by difference in rhizine structure....read more on Wikipedia.