Evernia prunastri

Oakmoss ( Evernia prunastri )

The oak moss ( Evernia prunastri ) is a lichen that grows on shrub-like trees.

Description

The yellow-green lichen grows up to 10 cm tall. It consists of up to five millimeters wide shrubby branched bands with lighter underside. At the edges of these break on dusty ( Soralia ). Apothecia ( with shiny brown disc ) are rarely formed.

Location

In Europe, it is often encountered from northern Fennoscandia to the Mediterranean up to the tree line on acidic bark of deciduous and coniferous trees, especially oaks (eg in Avenues). At wind open spots they can cover the edges of the tree trunks with a dense lichen carpet. It is one of the most common shrub lichen and missing only in heavily air- polluted areas and to air-dry locations. The species is considered endangered in Germany.

Special

Oakmoss is a basic perfume perfumery and is part of the basic chord bergamot Labdanum Oakmoss, which defines the genus chypre perfume. He seems allergic in rare cases; its use was severely restricted by EU rules, which led to the reformulation and deterioration of the recipes of many perfume classic. In Southern France the species is collected in large quantities in order to gain so-called in an elaborate distilling " mousse de Chêne " or " mousse odorante ".