numerous, spermatia oblong or oblong-ellipsoid, 0,004-5 mm.
long, 0,002 mm. thick.—Mudd Man. p. 179. Lecidea synothea
Ach. Syn. p. 26 (1814) pro p a rte ; Borr. in Engl. Bot. Suppl.
t. 2/11 ; Hook, in Sm. Engl. FI. p. 179. L. denigrata Nyl. in
Not. Siillsk. Faun. & FI. Fenn. n. ser. v. p. 149 (1866) ; Cromb.
in Grevillea xxii. p. 10 & Lich. Brit. p. 70 ; Leight. Lich. PI.
p. 320 ; ed. 3, p. 364. L. parissima Nyl. ex Cromb. in Journ.
Linn. Soo. xi. p. 484 (1871) & Journ. Bot. ix. 178 (1871);
Leight. Lich. PI. ed. 3, p. 256. L. hemipoliella Nyl. in Flora
Ivni. p. 11 (1875); Leight. Lich. FI. ed. 3, p. 339 (e descript.).
Biatora denigrata Pr. in Vet. Acad. Handl. 1822, p. 265 & Lich
Eur. p. 270.
Exsicc. Johns, n. 373.
Well characterized by the structure of the apothecia and the
appearance of the spermogones. The thallus, which spreads extensively,
is at times blackish, and occasionally but little visible, but
in that case the numerous and often conglomerate apothecia make
the plant sufficiently conspicuous. The spermogones are usually
abundant and are readily observed from the extrusion of the white
spermatia in the form of globules.
Hah. On old palings, and occasionally on decorticated stumps of
trees in upland wooded districts.-EZsZr. Not unfrequent in England,
apparently rare in Scotland ; not seen from Ireland or the Channei
Islands.—E. M. Near Highbeaoh, Epping Forest, Essex; Esher,
Surrey ; near Tunbridge Wells, Kent ; Albourne and Henfield, Sussex ;
Forest, Hants ; near Bovey Tracy, Devon ; near Hendon and
Mill Hill, Middlesex ; Oaksey, Wilts ; near Elstree, Herts ; Chelmsford,
Essex ; Twycross and Gopsall, Leicestershire ; Battenhall, near
Worcester ; near Barmouth, Merioneth ; Oswestry and near Shrews
bury Shropshire; near Ayton, Cleveland, Yorkshire; Egremont
Cumberland ; Finlarig, Killin, Perthshire.
Var. semialbula A. L. Sm.—Thallus whitish or livid-whitish,
thin, slightly rimulose-areolate ; spores 2-4-guttulate, septa discernible
on treatment with potash.—Lecidea hemipoliella var.
semialbula Nyl. ex Stirton in Trans. Glasgow Soc. Nat. 1875,
p. 89 (fide Leight.) ; Leight. Lich. FI. ed. 3, p. 339. Specimen
not seen.
Hab. On decorticated wood. Collected by Dr. Stirton near Altna-
harra, Sutherland.
Subsp. suhnigrata A. L. Sm.—Thallus effuse, granulose-
areolate and furfuraceous, dark-greyish (K - , C aC l- ) . Apothecia
small, convex, immarginate, usually conglomerate, brownish
or reddish-black, colourless within ; epithecium sordid-
yellowish, paraphyses not discrete; hypothecium colourless;
spores ellipsoid, 0,009-11 mm. long, 0,004-5 mm. th ic k ; hymenial
gelatine bluish with iodine.—Lec/dea subnigrata Nyl in
Flora xlix. p. 370 (1866); Leight. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist, ser 3,
xix. p. 403 (1867) & Lich. El. p. 316 ; ed. 3, p. 331. Lecidea
denigrata subsp. subnigrata Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 70.
Scarcely to be distinguished from the species, the minor differences
being due to the nature of the substratum. In the specimens
seen the apothecia are numerous.
Hab. On schistose rooks in hilly and mountainous districts.—
Distr. Very local and scarce in S.W. England, N. Wales, and the
central Grampians, Scotland.—E. M. Bathampton Downs, Somerset ;
Cader Idris, Merioneth ; Craig Tulloch, Blair Athole, Perthshire.
23. B. premnea A. L. Sm.—Thallus greyish-green or whitish,
cartilaginous, thin, unequal, continuous or rimóse (K —, CaCl — ).
Apothecia rather large, black, scattered, sessile, plane, the disc
minutely papillate, margin thickish, shining, becoming convex
and immarginate ; hypothecium bluish-black ; paraphyses slender,
conglutinate, dark-bluish-green or dark-brown towards the tips ;
spores ellipsoid or oblong, obtuse, rather large, 0,020-30 mm.
long, 0,008-18 mm. thick, sometimes slightly constricted a t the
septum ; hymenial gelatine blue then wine-red with iodine.—
B. grossa Mudd Man. p. 181 (1861). Lecidea premnea Fr. in
Vet. Acad. Handl. 1822, p. 260 (pro max. parte, fide Th. Pr.
Lich. Scand. p. 581) (non Ach.). L. grossa Nyl. in Act. Soc.
Linn. Bord. ser. 3, i. p. 385 (1857) ; Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 89 ;
Leight. Lich. PI. p. 310 ; ed. 3, p. 328. L . leucoplaca Chev. PI.
Env. Paris, p. 572 (1826).
Exsicc. Mudd n. 147 ; Leight. n. 125 (as Lecidea leucoplaca)]
Johns, n. 360.
Liable to be confused with Lecanactis premnea, to which it is
externally somewhat similar. Often cited as L. grossa Pers. a
manuscript name in Hb. Mougeot.
Hdb. On trunks of trees in wooded regions.—Distr. Frequent in
most parts of the British Isles.—E. M. Withiel, Cornwall ; Newton
Bushell, Devon ; Bembridge, I. of Wight ; Lyndhurst, Hants ;
between Henfield and Brighton, and Cowdown, Poynings, Sussex;
Shiere, Surrey ; Kent ; Chedworth Woods, near Cirencester,
Gloucestershire; Gopsall Wood, Leicestershire; Nannau, Dolgelly,
Merioneth; Windermere, Westmoreland; Airyholme Wood, Cleveland,
Yorkshire ; Lanark ; near Edinburgh ; The Trossachs, Kenmore,
Aberfeldy, Glen Falloch, Glen Lochay and Finlarig, Killin, Perthshire ;
Appin and Barcaldine, Argyll ; Invermoriston and Fort William,
Invernessshire ; Morrone, Braemar, Aberdeenshire ; Derryquin,
Glencar, Muokrussand Dinish, Kerry; Dromoland, Clare; Loughcooter,
Galway.
24. B. p lv e r e a Mudd Man. p. 180 (1861).—Thallus effuse,
thickish, minutely granular-pulverulent or leprose, soft, greyish-
green, glaucous, or yellowish-green, becoming white (K + yellow,
CaCl — ). Apothecia somewhat large, scattered, adnate-sessile,
plane, black with a paler ra the r prominent margin, becoming
convex and immarginate, pale within, the lower stratum white ;
paraphyses coherent, blackish a t the apices; spores oblong or
ellipsoid, 1-septate, 0,015-19 mm. long, 0,007-9 mm. thick ;
hymenial gelatine deep-blue then violet-coloured with iodine.—■