CRYPTOGAMIA Algoe.
Gen. Char. Male, scattered warts.
Female, smooth shields or tubercles, in which, the
seeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Crust hard, whitish, smooth. Tubercles
black, globose, umbilicated, half sunk in the crust.
Syn. Lichen Schraderi. Ach. Prod. 13.
Verrucaria Schraderi. Ach. Meth. 114.
V. rupestris. Schrad. Spicil. 109. t. 2. f . 7 .
FO U N D on chalk or calcareous stones in various places,
though from its minuteness often overlooked. Mr. Borrer
sent our specimen from Sussex.
In the structure of its crust, the cavities of which contain
the fructification, nothing can more nearly approach L. im-
mersus, figured in v. 3. t. 193 ; but the fructification is smaller,
and differs so essentially as to have caused Professor Acharius
to refer it, very justly according to his system, .to another
genus, Verrucaria, while our immersus is truly a Lecidea.
The tubercles of the plant before us are very minute, globular,
when fully grown, but half sunk in the crust, marked at the
top with a little puncture or depression, coal-black externally,
grey within, when ripe lined with seeds.
We have compared our plant with an original specimen,
sent by the liberal botanist whose name it bears, and whose
admirable figure, indeed, leaves no room for doubt upon the
subject.
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