38. ALECTORIA Ach. Lich. Univ. (1810) p. f)!)2 pro p a rte ;
Nyl. Syn. p. 277.—ïh a llu s fihiiuentoBO, often intricately branched,
concolorous on both
sides, somewhat shin
ing ; medullary layer
loosely arachnoid or
laounose, no t readily
separating from the
cortical layer, which
is corneous, formed of
subparallel filaments
closely conglutinate.
Apotliecia diseolorous,
or rarely subooncolorous
with th e thallua,
rarely w ith ciliato
m argin; hypothecium
colourless ; spores 8næ
and small, or 2-4iiæ
and larger, very rarely
m u ra li-d iv id ed , ellipsoid,
sometimes
a t length becoming
brown
Fig. 41.
A le c to ria ochroleiica Kyi.—a. Vertical section of
a young apotheciuni, x30. b. Theca and
paraphysis, X 3f;0. c. Spores, X 500. d.
Lorgitndinal section of thallus with a spermogone,
X 30. e. Sterigmata and spermatia,
X 500.
hymenial g elatine bluish w ith iodine. Spermogones lateral,
inclosed in th allin e tubercles, th e conceptacles ex te rn ally blackish ;
spermatia acioular, fusiformi-incrassate towards either apex.
The species of this genus are characteristic of mountainous regions, and
several occur in great abundance in suitable localities. In some the thallus
becomes a t length free from the substratum, because of the decay and
death of the lower portion, which does not, however, prevent them from
freely vegetating.
a. Apothecia la te ra l or p seudo-terminal; spores 2 -4næ, somewhat
large, colourless or a t length brown. {Evalectoria F r. ill.
Gen. Heterol. (1861) p. 48.)
1. A. ochroleuca Nyl. Alem. Soo. Cherb. v. (1837) p. 98.—Thallus
cæspitoso-frutioulose, rigid, erect, rounded or somewhat compressed,
smooth, or here and there laounoso-imqiressed, much and
divaricately branched, ochroleucous or whitish straw-coloured ;
branches a tten u a te , th e apices recurved and usually blackish
(jqf+yellowish^ CaCl“ )- Apothecia large, innato-sessile, a t length repand,
b rig h t brownish-red or brownish-black, th e margin inflexed
or excluded ; spores 0,028—42 mm. long, 0,014—24 mm. thiok.—
Aludd, Alan. p. 73 ; Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 24 ; Leight. Lich. Fl.
p. 87, ed. 3, p. 79.— Cornicularia ochroleuca Hook. F l. Scot. ii.
p. 69 ; Sm. Eug. F l. v. p. 229. Lichen oohroleucus E h rh . Beytr.
iii. (1789) p. 82 ; Dicks. Crypt, fasc. iii. p. 19 ; With. Arr. ed. 3, iv.
p. 46 qiro parte ; Eng. Bot. t. 2374.— Hrii. Exs. : Cromb. n. 126.
Grows in large tufts with the tballus at length free, is often sprinkled
with small wliiti.sh soredia, and has the fertile branches thicker. I t
varies somewhat in the degree of blackness with which its normally pale
yellow colour is diversified, this being confined to the apices of the
branchlets, as is usually the case with us, or extending over the greater
portion of the thallus, as in Arctic regions. Iu Great Britain the apothecia
are extremely rare, having been seen in only a single specimen. The
spermiigones, which are seldom present with us, are minute, punctate,
colourless within, with spermatia 0,007-8 mm. long, scarcely 0,001 mm.
thick.
Hab. Among mosses on gravelly soil in alpine places. Distr. Confined
to some of the higher Grampians, Scotland, on or near their summits.—
B. M.: Cairngorm aud Cairntoul, Braemar, Aberdeenshire; ? Clova Aits.,
F orfarshire.
Form te n u io r Cromb. Jo u rn . Bot. 1872, p. 2 32.—Thallus smaller,
decumbent, th e branches more slender, somewhat entangled and
concolorous a t th e apices. Apotheoia small, pale reddish-brown.—
Leight. Lioh. Fl. ed. 3, p. 79.— Lichen sarmentosas Eng. Bot.
t. 2040 (smaller fig.).
This form depends no doubt upon tlie habitat. I t bears a general resemblance
except in colour to the terminal branchlets of var. cincinnata
of A . sarmentosa, to which belongs the specimen from Morrone cited in
Journ. Bot. I. c. and quoted in Leigbt. Lich. Fl. p. 88 as var. crinalis. l a
the only specimen seen there is but a single young apothecium visible,
which is rather lateral than pseudo-terminal.
Hab. On sterile ground in alpine places.—Distr. Seen only from one
of the loftier mountains of the N. Highlands of Scotland.—13. M. ; Ben
Luighal, Sutherlandshire.
2. A. s a rm e n to s a Ach. Lioh. Univ. (1810) p. 595.—Thallus
pendulous or prostrate, elongate, complicate, very much and remotely
branched, compressed a t th e axils, whitish-straw-ooloured, the
apices a tten u a te , long, concolorous ( K~, K (CaCl)flgoddish)'
Apotheoia small, lateral, hadio-reddish or brown ; spores 3-4nse,
0 ,0 1 5 -3 6 mm. long, 0 ,0 1 4 -3 0 mm. thick.—Cromb. Jo u rn . Bot.
1875, p. 1 4 0 ; Leight. Lioh. Fl. ed. 3, p. 79.— Lichen sarmentosas
Ach. Vet. Ak. Handl. 1795, p. 212, t. 8. f. 2. ? Usnea loris longis
dichotomis, extresnitatihus tenuioribus Dill. AIuso. 59, t. 11. f. 2.
Distinguished by the form of the thallus and the situation of the apothecia.
The thallus, which varies in thickness, is rounded or here and
there somewhat compressed, smooth or more or less lacuncso-foveolate,
with the branches divaricate or dichotomous. Our only known British
specimen belongs to the usual alpine and thicker condition. I t has only
a few apothecia and no spermogones.
Hab. Among mosses on the ground in alpine situations.—D ktr.
Known only from one of the N. Gramqiians, Scotland.—B. M .: Cairngorm,
Banffshire.
Var. ¡3. c in c in n a ta N yl. Syn. i. (1860) p. 282 ; Flora, 1869, p. 244.
— Thallus prostrate, sarmentóse, intric ate, unequally comqrressed,
thickened, impresso-laounose, remotely branched, pale greenish