Huh. On calcareou.s rocks and walk in upland hilly districts.—Distr.
Local and .scarce in W. England, the S.AV. Highlands, Scotland, and
N.W. Ireland.—H. AI.: Cleove Hill, Somersetshire ; Shipton and near
Cirencester, Gloucestersliire; liiixton, Derhj'sliiro ; near Kendal, Westmoreland.
Kg. 13.
Appin, Argyleshire. Kjdemore, co. (.lalway,
Collema nigrescens, Ach.
Five spores, X 500.
C. SYNECHOBLASTUS (Trevis. Niiov.
gen. Collcm. 1853).—Tliallus variously
lobed. Apotliooia leoanorine, rarely
biatorine : spores narrow or fusiform,
usually plnriscptate (not mnriform) ;
hymenial gelatine bluish with iodine.
Spermogones with jo inted sterigmata.
20. C. Laureri Nyl. e.x Cromb, Journ.
Bot. 1873, p. 132.—Thallus inoiso-lobed,
smooth or slightly granular, dull olive-
black ( I-h reddish, when dry) ; lobes somew
h a t dilated, rounded, ascending, crowded,
imbricate and undulate in the centre, more
or less depressed a t the circumference, erect
and nearly entire a t the margins. Apothecia
moderate, sessile, plane, reddish-brown or dark-red, the
margin entire or slightly crenate ; spores linoari-ohlong, obtuse a t
both apices, 3-septate, stra ig h t, 0 ,0 2 0 -2 4 mm. long, 0 ,0 0 5 -6 mm
th ick .—Cromb. Journ. Bot. 1874, p. 334 ; Leight. Lioh. El. ed. 3,
P- 2 2 .— Synechoblastus complicatus Aludd, Man. p. 44, t. 1. f. o!
SynechoblastusLaureriVlot. in Koerb. Syst. Lioh. Germ. (1855) p. 414.
Externally subsimilar to C. polycarpon, but distinguished by the broader
lobes, and especially by the spores being more obtuse. 'The tliallus
radiates from the centre, and according to Koerber is white-fibrillose on
the underside. The apothecia are scattered and chiefly marginal. We
have seen only a small specimen very sparingly fertile.
Hah. On limestone walk in upland districts.—Dfsfr Local in N Eno--
land, where according to Aludd it is abundant near the High Forle Inn
Teesdale ; if really British, should be detected elsewhere.—B. AI.: Tees-
dale, Durham.
21. C. nigrescens Ach. Lioh. Univ. ( I 8 I 0 ) p. 646.—Thallus sub-
monophyllous, roundly lobed, radiately rugoso-plioate, olive- or blackish
green ( I -1- reddish, when drj' ) ; lobefe broad, smooth or granulose,
depressed a t th e oiroumferenoe, more or less ascending in th e centre,’
entire or slightly crenate a t th e margins. Apothecia small, plane!
a t length convex, crowded, the margin e n tire ; spores fusiformk
cylindrical, pluri-septate, 0 ,0 0 3 4 -4 2 mm. long, 0,005 mm thick —
P- P- 2 1 1 ; Tayl. in Alack.
F l. Hib. 11. p, n o ; Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 6 ; Leight. L iih . Fl. p. 24,
ed. 3, p. 2 4 .— Synechoblastus nigrescens Mudd, Alan. p. 42 t i f s ’
Lathragivm nigrescens Gray, Nat. Arr. i. p. 399. Lichen 'niqres'cens
Huds. Fl. Angl. (1762) p. 450 ; With. Arr. od. 3, iv. p. 74 • En«' Bot
t, 345. Lichen vespertilio Lightf. F l. Scot. ii. p. 840. TAchenoides
gelatinosum memhraneeurn tenue nigricans Dill. AIusc. p. 138, t. 19.
f. 20. TAchenoides saxatile memhranaeeum gelatinosum tenue, nigrescens
Dill, in E ay , Syn. od. 3, 72. 53.—B rit. E x s . ; Leight. n. i0 9 ;
Cromb. n. 104.
This is readily recognized by the nearly monophyUous, rugose, thinnish
thaUus, laciinose beneath, and by the small crowded apothecia. The
thallus, which is orbicular and appressed at the circumference, is not
inaptly likened by Dillenius to a “ bat’s wing,” whence the specific name
of Lightfoot; when groiviug more luxuriantly it sends forth smaller
lobes. Sometimes in old age it is nearly obliterated, only the smaller
lobes with the apothecia being apparent, when it might be mistaken for
the next species. The apotbecia are chiefly central, and in otherwise
barren specimens the spermogones are usually abundant.
Hah. On the trunks of old trees, chiefly poplars and willows, in maritime
and upland wooded districts.—Distr. General and not uncommon
in the Channel Islands, Great Britain, and Ireland, but chiefly in the
Western tracts.—B. AI. : Noirmout, Rozel, and St. Ouen’s Bay, Island
of Je rsey ; Island of Guernsey. Near Ryde, Carisbrook Castle, and
Shanklin, Isle of Wight; Fairligbt Glen, Hastings, Henfield, Hurstpierpoint,
and Beeding, Sussex; Torquay, Paignton, Sidmouth, Totnes,
Bolt Head, and Cornworthy, Devonshire; Iloconnoc, near Penzance,
and the Lizard, Cornwall; Kemble, near Cirencester, Gloucestershire;
Barrow Hill, Malvern, and Broadwas, Worcestershire; Aberdovey,
Alerionethshire; near Guisboro’, Cleveland, Yorkshire. New Galloway,
Kirkciidbriglitshire ; Barcaldine, Argyleshire ; near Callander, Loch Tay,
and in Glen Lochajq Perthshire ; Glen Dole, Forfarshire; Gairloch and
Applecross, Ross-shire. Castlemartyr, co. Cork ; Powerscourt, co. W icklow
; Killarney and Aluekross, co. Kerry.
22. C. aggregatum Njd. Alcm. Soc. So. Nat. Cherb. ii. (1854)
p. 3 1 8 ; Syn. i. p. 115, t. ii. f. 9 .—Thallus small, lohate and plicate,
somewhat rigid, difform, greenish-black or olive-brown ( I - f r e d ) ;
lobes ra th e r short, sometimes crenate, and often granuloso-crispate
a t the margins. Apotheoia moderate, crowded, plane or slightly
convex, red or dark-red, th e th allin e margin th in , e n tir e ; spores
rarely 6n£e, fusiformi-oylindrioal, stra ig h t or curved, pluri-septate,
0,033-65 mm. long, 0 ,0 0 4 -5 mm. thick.—Cromb. Lioh. Brit. p. 6 ;
Leight. Lioh. Fl. p. 26, ed. 3, p. 2 5 .— Synechoblastus aggregatus
Mudd, Alan. p. 43. Enchylium fasciculare p . aggregatum Gray, Nat.
Arr. i. p. 398. Collema fascimilare var. aggregatum k x h . Lioh. Univ.
(1810) p. 648. Lichenoides gelatinosum p almatum, tuberculis con-
glomeratis Dill. AIusc. 141, t. 19. f. 2 7 b .—B rit. Exs.-. Cromb.
11. 105.
From the closely allied C. nigrescens this is distinguished by the thaUus
being much smaller, more rigid, and not radiately rugose, and by the
shorter, not rounded nor appressed lobes. I t is occasionally leaden-
coloured when dry, and often but little developed. The apotbecia in
fertile specimens are usuaUy numerous and crowded.
Hab. Among mosses on the trunks of old trees in wooded upland
tracts.—Distr. Found only in S., W., and N. England, N. Wales, the
W. Higbl.ands of Scotland, and S.W. Ireland.—B. AI. ■. High Rocks,
. l i