18 E PHEBACEI. [ g o n io n e m a .
' li
i i l l '
satisfactory diagnosis, and are consequently omitted. Among these are
several species of Sirosiphon, e. g. S. saxícola Naeg., S. alpinimi Kiitz.,
S. pulviiiatus Bréb., S. ocellatus Kiitz., which occur in Great Britain and
Ireland. According to Nylander, in Lamy Mt. Dor. p. I (note), liaco-
dium ebenciwi (Dillw.), which from general appearance might be supposed
to belong to this tribe, has no aualogy with Sirosiphon, but is
quite ditfereut in structure,
containing gonidia,
and is probably some
jieculiar sterile Lepraria.
1. GONIONEMA Nyl.
Mem. Soc. Cherb. ill.
(1855) p. 1 6 3 ; Syu. i.
jr. 88.—Thallus byssaoeo-
flbrillose, tubuliform, in tricate
; gonimia sub-
moniliformly connate in
one continuous series.
Apotheoia biatorine or
gyaleotoid ; spores 8uæ,
simple, paraphyses slender
; hymenial gelatine
(especially th e thecæ)
bluish, becoming wine-
red or tawny wine-
coloured w ith iodine.
Spermogones lateral, or
torminal, globose ; sterigmata
simple, slender;
spermatia oblong, very
minute.
Various Scytonemas
probably belong to this
genus. I f this be so, the
more recent name must
give place to th at of
Snjtonema Ag., in its
stricter sense.
Fig. 1.
Gouimiema velutinum N y l—a. Filaments with
two apothecia, X 30. h. Vertical sections of
two apothecia, X 30. c. Filaments with
three spermogones, X 30. d. Short frustule of
thallus, and d' transverse section of the same,
X 8.50, e. Apex of a filament containing a
meiogonimium, X 200, and d fragment of a
syngouimium composed of four gonimia,
X 350. /. Sterigmata and' spermatia, X 500.
g. Theca and paraphyses. X 350. k. Three
spores, X 500.
1. G. velutinum Nyl.
Mém. Soc. Cherb. iii.
(1 8 5 5 ) p. 163.—Thallus
very thin, densely pan-
nose, intric ate, brownish
when moist, dark-brown
w'hen dry. Apothecia
minute, terminal, ap-
prosscd, somewhat concave, dark-brown, pale within, th e margin
tumid ; sporos ellipsoid or oblongo-ellipsoid, 0 ,0 1 0 -0 ,0 1 5 mm. long,
0 ,0 06-0,007 mm, th ick .—Nyl. "Syn. i. p. 88, t. I. f. 11 ; Leight.
GONIONEMA.] SIKO SIPHEI. | y
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. sor. 3, xvi. p. 8, t. 4. ff. 1 -6 ; Lich E l p 11
od. 3, p. 9 ; Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. l .— Polychidium velntinum Gray’
jNat. Arr. i. p. 402 ; Lic lm i velutinus Ach. Prodr. (1798) p. 218 ^
The thallus is very densely matted together, and sometimes spreads
extensively over the substratum. When young and infertile it is
with difficulty distinguished from some species of Scytonema. The
apothecia, wliich are reddish when young, seem to be very rare in this
country, nor are the spermogones often met w ith ; they are nearly
t l d c k p a l e reddish, the spermatia being 0,002 mm. long, 0,001 mm.
Hah. On mica-scliist rocks in mountainous districts.—Dfsir Local
and scarce in North Wales, and among the Grampians, Scotland; no
doubt often overlooked elsewhere.—B. M .; Near Barmouth and Cader
Idns Merionethshire; Craig Breidden, Montgomeryshire. Ben Cruachan,
Argyleshire; Ben l.awers and Craig Tulloch, Perthshire ; Glen Callater
liraemar^ Aberdeeiisliire. ^
2. G, compactum Nyl. Flora, 1883, p. 104.—Thallus thinly
nlamentoso, dark-brown, filaments ascending and orow'dod. forming
a subasconding tomentiim. Apotheoia globulose, reddish, the
opitheoiiim ra th e r iiid istin c t; spores oblong, 0 ,0 1 0 -0 ,0 1 5 mm.’long
0,0 0 6 -0 ,0 0 8 mm. thick.—Cromb. Jo u rn . Bot. 1885, p. 195
Scytonema compactu7n Ag. Disp. Alg, (1812) p. 3 9 ; Sm. Eng. FI.
V. p. 364. lla ssa llia eo^npacta Hass. Br. Freshw. Alg. p. 232
t. 68. f. 3. Sirosiphon compcwtus Ktz., Leight. Lich. FI ed s ’
p. 9. • ’
The recent discovery of the fructification in N.W. England has defi-
nitely placed this plant among Lichens. I t differs from the preceding in
tJie filaments, which are often curved, being more erect and branched
towards the apices, and in the apothecia being- globular, with the eni-
theeium less distinct and the spores somewhat larger. The spermogones
lP®ooso-adnate, with spermatia thin, 0,001 mm. long, 0,005 mm.
IHh. On moist rocks in upland and subalpine d istric ts.-D is fr Probably
imt uiifrequent, though seen only from N. Wales, N.W. England
S. and Central Scotland, and N.W. Ireland.—B. M .: Lyn Aran, Doffiellv
Merionethshire ; Mardale, Westmoreland (frt.); Wastdale Lake, Cumberland
; Ben Lawei-s, Perthshire. Near Kylemore Lake, co. Galway.
^ 2. SPILONEMA Born. Mom. Soc. Cherb. iv. (1856) p. 226 ■
Nyl. Syn. i. p. 89.—Thallus minute, frutioulose, often pulvinato
gommia 2 or 3, or several together, arranged in more or less regular
scries throughout th e rounded thallus. Apothecia small, lecideine
len ticu la r; spores simple or 1 -septate, paraphyses thickish, a rticu
la te; hymenial gelatine bluish with iodine. Spermogones
tuberculose, w ith jo in ted sterigmata, spermatia shortly cylindrical.
This differs from Gonionema chiefly in the characters of the gonimia
pai-aphj^ses, and sterigmata. Some plants agreeing in the structure of
tlie. tliallus and the apothecia with Spilonema, but the spermogones of
which have not been detected, may also, for the present, be referred here
though eventually tliey may he found to belong to Sirosiphon {vide Cromb’
c 2