S. Ireland.—B. M. Ivy Bridge, Devon; New Forest, H a n ts ; Woodham
Walter Common, Essex ; Hollybush Hill, Malvern, Worcestershire
; Toro Mt., Killarney.
Form coacervata Leight. I. c.—Apothecia aggregate in small
scattered groups.
Hab. On trees, especially holly.—Distr. Eare in S. and Central
England.—B. M. Epping Forest, Essex; Holly Park, near'Stokesay,
Shropshire.
2. G. petrina Nyl. in Flora lix. p. 310 (1876).—Thallus
greyish-white or scarcely visible. Apothecia few, black, linear,
simple ; disc narrow, slit-like, the margins tumid, longitudinally
furrowed, often white-pruinose; spores elongate, 7 -1 1-septate,
brownish, 0,036-50 mm. long, 0,007-011 mm. thick.—Cromb. in
Grevillea v. p. 28 & in Journ. Bot. xiv. p. 362 (1876) : Leight.
Lich. Fl. ed. 3, p. 427.
Scarcely different except in habitat from the preceding species.
Hab. On wet micaceous rocks.—Distr. Eare in W. Ireland.—
B. M. Near Renvyle, Connemara, Galway.
3. G. ramificans Nyl. in Flora lix. p. 575 (1876).—Thallus
whitish or creamy-white, thin, somewhat wrinkled (K + yellow
then orange). Apothecia black, slightly prominent, branched in
a dendroid m an n e r; epithecium narrow ; proper margins thin,
sometimes furrowed, wavy and crisp ; apothecia! wall colourless a t
the base (dimidiate); paraphyses slender, conglutinate, swollen and
brown a t the tips ; spores elongate-linear or cylindrical, colourless
(becoming pale-reddish?), 10-12-septate, 0,035-45 mm. long,
0,008-010 mm. thick.—Cromb. in Grevillea v. p. 107; Leight.
Lich. Fl. ed. 3, p. 433.
Exsicc. Larb. Lich. Hb. without a number.
Closely allied to O. striatula, a species from the tropics and
Portugal. The apothecia often lie closely parallel to each other, and
the margins are occasionally furrowed. The spores in the specimens
examined are colourless and measure up to 0,067 mm. long, 0,012 mm.
thick.
Hdb. On bark of holly.—B. M. Lough Feagh and Glendalough,
Connemara, Galway (the only localities).
4. G. scripta Ach. Lich. Univ. p. 265 (1810).—Thallus thin,
membranaceous or subtartareous, greyish-white, cream-coloured
or olivaceous, even or wrinkled, effuse or limited by a black
line. Apothecia elongate, slender, immersed, then erumpent, the
thallus forming an outer white margin, or becoming superficial
and prominent, straight or curved, simple or branched; margins
narrow, elevated, often wavy and crisp ; apothecial waU thick
and black, colourles.s a t the base (dimidiate); paraphyses slender,
slightly swollen and brown a t the tips ; spores colourless, sometimes
becoming brownish, elongate-cylindrical, 7-10-septate,
0,020-45 mm. long, 0,007-010 mm. thick ; spermogones with
minute spermatia 0,002-3 mm. long, 0,001 mm. thick.—S. F.
Gray Nat. Arr. i. p. 502 (excl. syn. Engl. Bo t.); Hook. Fl.
Scot. ii. p. 43 ; Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 363 ; ed. 3, p. 428 (inch
ff. diffusa, varia, flexuosa, and divaricata) ; Mudd Man. p. 237
(incl. vars. abietina (non Schær.), varia, flexuosa, and divaricata) ;
Oromb. Lich. Brit. p. 96. G. serpentina Leight. in Ann. & Mag.
Nat. Hist. ser. 2, xiii. p. 269, t. 6, f. 20 (incl. vars. diffusa,
varia, flexuosa, and divaricata (non Ach.)). Lichenoides crusta
tenuissima, peregrinis velut litteris inscripta 1)111. Hist. Muse,
p. 125, 1 .18, f. 1b (1760). Lichen scriptus L. Sp. Plant, p. 1140
(1753); Lightf. Fl. Scot. p. 800; With. Arr. ed. 3, iv. p. 4.
Opegrapha scripta Ach. Meth. p. 30 (1803) ; Grev. Fl. Edin.
p. 353 pro p a rte ; Hook, in Sm. Engl. Fl. v. p. 147 pro p a rte ;
Tayl. in Mackay Fl. Hib. ii. p. 106 pro parte.
Exsicc. Leight. nos. 19 (pro parte), 21 ; Larb. Lich. Cæsar.
A very variable species in the form and appearance of the thallus
and apothecia. In the typical plant the thallus is developed beneath,
or confused with, the outer layers of the cortex and is usually
determinate, sometimes limited by a black line, the f. limitata of
continental lichenologists [Opegrapha limitata Pers. in Ust. Ami. vii.
p. 30 (1794)). The apothecia are usually very long and narrow, sometimes
almost thread-like (var. tenerrima Ach. I. c. p. 266), naked or
subpruinose, straight or curved (f. flexuosa Leight. ll. c.), simple,
sparingly scattered over the thallus (f. diffusa Leight. ll. c. ; var.
abietina Mudd I. c.), or branched, crowded and lying in all directions
(f. varia Leight. ll. c.). In f. divaricata Leight. ll. c. they are rather
short, and distinguished by one or more lateral branches growing out
a t right angles, but this character is confined to very few of the
apothecia present on any specimen. The more definitely marked
varieties are recorded below. The spores are normally colourless ;
the brown colouration, as in some other oases, is largely due to
arrested growth or to premature decay.
Hab. On bark of various trees.—Distr. Common in England and
Ireland, less frequently recorded from Scotland.—B. M. Jersey ;
Withiel, Cornwall ; Torquay, Devon ; New Forest, Hants ; near
Handoross, Ardingly, Danny, Midhurst, St. Leonard’s Forest, Sussex;
Codham Hall and White Colne, Essex ; Bath, Somerset ; Chepstow,
Monmouthshire ; Gopsall and Twycross, Leicestershire ; Dolgelly and
Barmouth, Merioneth ; Gloddaeth, near Conway, Trefriw and Gwydir
Woods, Bettws-y-Coed, Carnarvonshire; Kildale, Airyholme AVood,
Basby Wood and Newton A¥ood, Cleveland, Hobhole and Ayton,
Yorkshire ; near Glasgow, Lanarkshire ; Aberfeldy, Perthshire ;
Enniskean, Glenbower, Castle Bernard, Cork ; Killarney, Kerry ;
Glenstale, Tipperary; Doughruagh Mt., Connemara, Galway.
Form recta Nyl. Lich. Scand. p. 252 (1861).—Thallus in
elongated patches, often limited hy a black line. Apothecia
numerous, arranged in somewhat straight subparallel lines.—
Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 96 ; Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 365 ; ed. 3,
p. 429 ; f. betuligna Cromb. I. c. ; f. horizontalis Leight. ll. c.