Dangers
There are numerous other species of Bryoria that can be mistaken for wila, as they all look superficially similar. Although wila is edible, most of the other species of Bryoria are mildly toxic and should not be eaten in large quantities. Furthermore, in certain areas wila can contain toxic quantities of vulpinic acid, which is one of the most potent poisons found in lichens. If you intend to eat wila, you must take proper care to ensure that you are collecting the right species, and that it is not a morphotype that is high in vulpinic acid.
Read more about this topic: Wila (lichen)
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