LICHEN incanus.
Soft Mealy-crusted Lichen.
CRYPTOGAMIA Algae.
G en. Char. Male, scattered warts.
Female, smooth shields or tubercles, in which the
seeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Leprous, very mealy, soft, uneven,
greenish grey. Shields scattered, sessile, brown,
with a paler brown, even, smooth border.
Syn. Lichen incanus. Ach. Prod. 7 . With. v. 4. 2.
Relh. 444. Sibth. 316. Hoffm. Enum. 7 . t. l . f . 6.
Lepraria incana. Ach. Melh. 4.
Byssus incana. Linn. Sp. PL. 1639? Ihids. 609.
Hull. 308. Abbot. 2 7 8 . Lightf. 1006.
B. pulverulenta incana, farinas instar strata. Dill,
in Rail Syn. 56. Muse. 3. t. l . f . 3.
T h e crust of this Lichen is very common on trees, shady
rocks, &c., often running loosely over mosses, and forming
patches several inches broad, pale greyish or greenish white
when dry, and of a very soft, loose, mealy, granulated
texture ; when wet it is still more tender and friable, and
assumes a light glaucous green hue. This is the Byssus incana
of authors, but we are doubtful whether Linnaeus did not rather
understand by that name the barren crust of Lichen lys-
soides, v. 6. t. 373. The shields were first discovered in
January last by C. Lyell, Esq,, on beeches in the New Forest,
Hampshire. We have been also favoured with fine specimens
from Mr. D. Turner, gathered by him in Sussex this spring.
These shields are scattered, sometimes rather clustered, sessile,
small, brown, of a horny or waxy appearance, nearly flat;
the margin thick, smooth, elevated, of the same colour or
rather paler, without any border from the substance of the
crust itself. The internal substance of the shields is white.
The discovery of these shields proves the plant to be sufficiently
distinct from L. muscorum, v. 9. t. 626, see Ach.
Prod., and moreover teaches us to mistrust the generic distinction
between Lichen and Lepraria. May the propagula of
the latter be analogous to the buds or bulbs of some other
vegetables ?
Dcc.i.i8o6 .Pitblishd by Ja •!' ScnreAy, Condon .