Usnea dodgeiMotyka Lich. Gen. Usnea Monogr.3: 572, 610 (1938).
Short Description. A detailed description can be found in Truong et al. (2013b); the species is characterized by branches with slightly inflated segments, moderately or distinctly constricted at their ramification, covered in numerous papillae and tubercles, with a thick cortex that appears shiny in section. Soralia of the species are initially minute and stipitate, they later become plane and at maturity fuse to typically cover short lateral and thick branches and the branch apices.
In the Galapagos, sorediate specimens of U. clerciana can be superficially similar to U. dodgei, but the two species are readily distinguished by their different cortex and medulla: Usnea dodgei has a moderately thick cortex and a dense medulla, while U. clerciana has a thin cortex and a loose medulla.
Chemistry. Medulla with stictic, constictic, menegazziaic, ±traces of norstictic acid, and unidentified triterpenoids [P+ yellow orange, K+ yellow turning orange (±crystals), C–, KC–].
Ecology and distribution. A neotropical species, known from Central and South America (Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela); previously reported from the Galapagos (Truong et al. 2013b) were it is moderately common and most frequently found in the transition zone, less often in the humid zone, rarely in the dry zone. Most specimens have been collected on bark (including cacti), few on wood (fallen branches), or on rock (exposed lava flows); typically in native vegetation (open woodland with Bursera and Zanthoxylum).