Mag. Nab. Hist. ser. 3, xx. p. 256 (1867) & Lich. Fl. p. 404;
ed. 3, p. 436 ; Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 105.
Distinguished by the rather large apothecia, the almost colourless
spores and the almost entire absence of paraphyses. The apothecia
are scattered or sometimes several congregate and are often ciroum-
cissed.
Hah. On the branches of old trees chiefly oak.—Distr. Very local
in S.W. Ireland.—B. M. Tore Mt., Dinish, Muokruss, Cromaglown
and near Derrycurrihy, Killarney, Kerry.
6. M. constrictella A. L. Sm.—Thallus whitish, thin. Apothecia
black, simple, sometimes aggregate, internally pallid-
brown ; perithecium la te r a l; disc broad, concave or flattened ;
paraphyses crowded, irregular, not well distinct, brown a t the
apices; hypothecium colourless; spores obovate, colourless,
1-septate, constricted, 0,012-17 mm. long, 0,0045-65 mm. th ick ;
hymenial gelatine untinged with iodine.—Opegrapha constrictella
Stirton in Scott. Nat. iv. p. 29 (1877); Leight. Lich. Fl. ed. 3,
p. 396. Specimen not seen.
Hah. On old bark at Ben Brecht, Argyll.
7. M. proximella Nyl. ex Norrl. in Not. Sallsk. Faun. & Fl.
Fenn. forh. xiii. p. 342 (1873).—Thallus effuse, whitish, developed
under the bark or evanescent. Apothecia small, black, roundish,
obtusely margined ; disc plane, somewhat wrinkled ; hypothecium
colourless or so rd id ; spores ovoid, becoming brown, 1-septate,
0,017-19 mm. long, 0,007-8 mm. th ic k ; hymenial gelatine
brownish and then wine-red with iodine.—Lecidea proximella
Nyl. in Herb. Mus. Fenn. p. 90 (1859) nomen. Arthonia proximella
Nyl. Lich. Scand. p. 262 (1861) ; Leight. in Grevillea i.
p. 60, t. 4, f. 3 & Lich. Fl. ed. 3, p. 417.
Somewhat resembling Arthonia patellulata but differing in the
character of the spores.
Hah. On trunks of trees, chiefly oak and holly in wooded upland
districts.—Distr. Only a few localities in S. and W. England, but
no doubt to be detected elsewhere.—B. M. Near Stoney Cross,
New Forest, Hants; Ardingly Woods, Sussex; near Canterbury,
Kent; Braydon Forest, Wilts; Sapperton, Gloucestershire; Dolgelly,
Merioneth; near Acton Scott, Shropshire ; Gwydir Woods, Bettws-y-
Coed and Mael-y-Gest, Carnarvonshire.
8. M. interjecta A. L. Sm.—Thallus whitish or faintly
greenish, tartareous, thin, furfuraceous, almost evanescent. Apothecia
black, elongate, somewhat shining, simple or sometimes
branched, solitary or clustered ; disc narrow, slit-like, the margins-
tumid, inflexed ; hypothecium black ; spores colourless, oblong,
1-septate, 0,021-23 mm. long, 0,009 mm. thick.—Lithographa
interjecta Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 361 (1871); ed. 3, p. 394. Specimen
not seen.
Separated from Lithographa by the septate spores, but the species
requires reinvestigation.
Hdb. On slaty maritime rooks.—Distr. Very rare, found only in
Wales (Barmouth, Merioneth).
9. M. vermifera Leight. in Trans. Linn. Soc. ser. 2, i. p. 146,
t. 22. figs. 21-24 (1876).—Thallus obsolete. Apothecia black,
minute, irregularly angular, oblong, imbedded in the cortical
layer, when dry plane and surrounded by a minute upraised
jagged margin of the cortical layer, when wet somewhat convex
and immarginate ; hymenium pale ; paraphyses slender, pale a t
the apices ; asci linear-obovate ; spores innumerable, arranged
spirally in the ascus, colourless, cylindrical-fusiform, pointed,
vermiform, 1-septate.—Leight. Lich. Fl. ed. 3, p. 437. Specimen
not seen.
Hab. Parasitic on thallus and apothecia of Pertusaria globulifera ;
Trefriw, Carnarvonshire.
10. M. Patersoni Stirton in Scott. Nat. iv. p. 29 (1877).—
Thallus whitish or pale, thin or evanescent. Apothecia small,
black, plane or somewhat convex ; hypothecium brownish or
pale ; paraphyses slender, somewhat branched, apices interwoven,
dark ; spores 4 or 5 in the ascus, colourless, acicular-cylindrical,
pluriseptate or 1 O-septate, breaking up a t the septa, 0,040-
60 mm. long, 0,0025-30 mm. thick.—Specimen not seen.
An aberrant species requiring further investigation.
Hdb. On dead bark ; Ben Brecht, Argyll.
90. OPEGRAPHA Humb. Fl. Friberg. p. 57 (1793). (PI. 27.)
—Thallus crustaceous, superficial or developed under the bark
(hypophloeodal), thin or sometimes almost wanting. Algal
cells Trentepohlia. Apothecia (lirellse) black and carbonaceous,
superficial, elongate or roundish, simple or branched, with a
proper margin only; disc narrow and slit-like or somewhat
flattened and plane ; asci clavate or elongate, usually 8-spored ;
spores colourless, sometimes becoming brownish, linear-oblong,
fusiform or acicular, pluriseptate.
Spores 3-septate.
1. 0. herpetica Ach. Meth. p. 23 (1803).—Thallus thin, more
or less cracked or rugged, grey or usually olivaceous, effuse or
limited by a brown line. Apothecia small, innate, oval, oblong
or linear, obtuse, simple or forked, straight or curved; margins
thick, rounded and inflexed, the disc slit-like, dilated in a g e ;
spores fusiform, 3-septate, colourless or pale-yellow, 0,017-27 mm.
long, 0,004-5 mm. th ic k ; spermogones with arcuate spermatia