4. M. Larhalestierii A. L. Sm.—Thallus thin, brownish,
mucilaginous, cracked, wrinkled and scattered when dry.
Perithecia immersed in the thallus, conical, the ostiole protruding
; peritheciai wall colourless a t the b a se ; paraphyses
slender, numerous; asci large, oblong-cylindrical, 8-spored; spores
oblong-fusiform, colourless, muriform, with many transverse septa
and one or more longitudinal divisions, about 0,050-55 mm.
long, 0,010 mm. thick.
Differs from other species of the genus in the habitat and structure
of the thallus and in the larger subfusiform spores which taper to
somewhat blunt ends. Collected by C. Larbalestier.
Hab. On rooks in a stream.—B. M. Twelve Pins, Connemara,
Galway.
5. M. Holliana A. L. Sm.—Thallus scanty, whitish, granular
or none. Perithecia dark-brown when dry, clear brown when
moist, scattered or crowded, sometimes two or more cohering,
conical, semi-immersed; peritheciai wall colourless below, becoming
a clear brown upwards ; paraphyses slender, ra th e r scanty,
persistent; asci elongate-oblong, 8-spored; spores large, ellipsoid-
fusiform, sometimes slightly constricted in the middle, colourless,
muriform, with small cells, 0,050-60 mm. long, 0,015-17 mm.
thick.
Differs from M. muscicola Lonnr. in the semi-parasitio habit, the
colour of the perithecia, and in 8 -spored asci. Collected by H. B. Holl.
Hab. On the ground on thallus of Cladonia, mosses, &c.—B. M.
Dolgelley, Merioneth (the only locality).
111. STAUROTHELE Norm, in Nyt. Mag. Naturv. vii. p.
240 (1852) ; emend. Th. Fr. Lich. Arct. p. 263 (1860) & in K.
Svensk. Vetensk. Soc. Nov. Act. 1877, 8, p. 3.— Sphseromphale
Reichenb. Consp. Reg. Veg. p. 20 (1828) pro p a r t e ; Mudd Man.
p. 281 pro parte. (PI. 47.)
Thallus variously crustaceous, not corticated, sometimes
developed within the substratum. Algal cells Pleurococcus.
Perithecia simple, superficial or immersed in the thallus with
poriform ostioles, and with hymenial gonidia (regal cells);
paraphyses mucilaginous, disappearing; asci broadly clavate,
1-8-spored; spores large, ellipsoid, muriform, colourless or dark-
coloured.
Differs from the preceding genus in the presence of hymenial
gonidia, which are usually small, roundish, cuboid or slightly elongate,
and occur in loose lines or masses between the asci. They are ejected
from the perithecium along with the spores.
Spores colourless.
1. St. hymenogonia A. Zahlbr. in Engler & P ran tl Pflanzenf.
i. 1*, p. 57 (1903).—Thallus whitish or pale-grey or brownish,
thin, tartareous and somewhat powdery or evanescent. Perithecia
moderate in size, semi-immersed, soft in texture and somewhat
scabrid, prominent, convex ; peritheciai wall entire ; paraphyses
none ; spores 8 in the ascus, linear-oblong, colourless, a t first
1-septate and then muriform, 0,018-34 mm. long, 0,011-17 mm.
th ic k ; hymenial gelatine wine-red. with iodine.—Verrucaria
muralis Rorr. in Engl. Bot. Suppl. t. 2647, fig. 2 (1830)?
Leight. Angioc. Lich. p. 46, t. 20, fig. 1 (1851) (non Ach.).
V. hymenogonia Nyl. in Act. Soc. Linn Bord. ser. 3, i. p. 430
(1856); Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 115; Leight. Lich. El. p. 460;
ed. 3, p. 491. Sphseromphale hymenogonia Mudd Man. p. 282
(1861).
Exsicc. Larb. Lich. Hb. n. 199.
Easily confused with Verrucaria muralis, as thallus and substratum
are very similar, the perithecia, however, are rather larger,
and the two are readily distmguished by internal characters.
Hah. On calcareous or arenaceous rocks, and mortar, &o.—Distr.
Very rare throughout the British Isles.—B. M. Mount Edgcumbe,
Cornwall; Downs, Sussex; Hyde and Cirencester, Gloucester; Newmarket
Heath, Cambridge ; Ben Lawers, Perthshire ; Glanmire, Cork.
Spores hrown, 1 or 2 in the ascus.
2. St. umbrinum A. L. Sm.—Thallus brownish or dark-
brown, thin, smooth, unequally cracked-areolate. Perithecia
innate in a swelling of the thallus, the ostioles projecting ;
peritheciai wall dimidiate ; paraphyses disappearing ; asci broadly
clavate, 2-spored ; spores oblong or obovate-oblong, muriform,
dark-brown, large, 0,045-50 mm. long, 0,018-20 mm. thick.—
Verrucaria lithina Ach. Meth. Suppl. p. 18 (1803)? V. umbrina
Pr. Lich. Eur. p. 441 (1831) (non Ach. nec Wahlenb. Fl.
Suec. p. 871 fide Th. Er. Lich. Arct. p. 270); Cromb. Lich.
Brit. p. 109; Leight. Lich. El. p. 453; ed. 3, p. 484. V.fissa
Tayl. in Mackay El. Hib. ii. p. 95 (1836). Endocarpon
litliinum Leight. Angioc. Lich. p. 19, t. 6, fig. 2 (1851).
E. fissum Leight. tom. cit. p. 20, t. 6, fig. 3. Sphseromphale
umbrina Mudd Man. p. 281 (1861).
Exsicc. Leight. n. 98 pro parte.
Hah. On rooks in or near rivers and lakes.—Distr. Eare in upland
regions.—R. M. Llandyssil, Cardiganshire ; Llangollen, Denbighshire ;
Sunday’s Well, Cork ; Ardglass, Down.
3. St. clopima Th. Fr. Lich. Arct. p. 263 (1860).—Thallus
brownish, thickish, tartareous, warted-areolate, the areolæ
somewhat tumid and rounded. Perithecia immersed in the
thallus, with a depressed ostiole; peritheciai wall dimidiate,
black ; paraphyses none ; spores 1 or 2 in the ascus, oblong,
colourless, becoming dark-brown, muriform, large, 0,032-53 mm.
long, 0,012-23 mm. th ick ; hymenial gelatine reddish-blue with
iodine.—Verrucaria clopima Wahlenb. in Ach. Meth. Suppl. p. 19