Usnea oreophila is a little-known species of saxicolous (rock-dwelling) beard lichen in the family Parmeliaceae. Found in high-altitude regions of Brazil, it was formally described as a new species in 2019 by Alice Gerlach and Philippe Clerc.
Usnea oreophila is distinguished by its patchy reddish pigmentation overlaying a jet-black basal layer. The branches feature numerous cracks with characteristic downturned edges. The thallus contains abundant sorediate fibercles and possesses a thick, hollow () central axis. Chemical analysis reveals a complex secondary metabolite composition with squamatic acid as the primary compound in the medulla.
At the time of its original publication, Usnea oreophila had been documented exclusively from high-altitude grasslands exceeding above sea level in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais, Paraná, and Santa Catarina.