t 372 ]
L I C H E N ericetorum.
Heath Lichen.
C R Y P T OGA M I A Algan
G en. Char. Male, fcattered warts.
Female, fmooth fhields or tubercles, in which the
feeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Cruft leprous, granulated, greenifti-
white. Shields nearly feflile, flat, fleth-coloured,
with a narrow whitifh border.
SyN. Lichen ericetorum. Linn. Sp. PI. i 6o 8. Hudft
FI. yin. 5 2 7 . FI. Dan. t. 4 7 2 . ƒ. 4 .-—(3 Lightf. Scot.
809. With. Bot. Arr. v. 3 . 16 8 .
L . Icmadophila. Linn. Suppl. 4 5 0 . Rel%. Scand. 273,
L . elveloides. Web. Gott. x86.
L . aeruginofus. Scop. Carn. v. 2 . 3 6 1 . Jacq. FI.
Aujir. v. 3 . t. 2 7 5 . Murr. in Linn. Syjt. Leg. ed.
1 4 . 958.— Sibth. Ox. 3 2 1 ?
1 HIS fpecies is found occafionally on turfy heaths,growing
generally on the ground, and forming large white or greenifh
patches, very confpicuous and beautiful in damp weather. The
cruft is not very thick; its under fide is attached by numerous
radicles; the upper one granulated, leprous to the fight, but
not powdery to the touch. The fhields are often immerfed in
the cruft, more rarely elevated on extremely fhort foot-ftalks.
Their outfide, and very narrow border, whitifh; their difk
quite flat and fmooth, flefh-coloured; when young glaucous.
When this Lichen grows on rotten wood, efpecially in the
(hade, its cruft is of a light verdigrife green, as figured by Jac-
quin under the name of aruginofus. Dr. Smith found it fo in
woods at Matlock, and Mr. Davall in Switzerland. This
however is clearly only a flight variety of the original ericetorum
of Linnaeus, which in its healthy unfaded ftate is always green-
ifh. No fpecies has been lefs clearly defined, Linnaeus himfelf
having confounded it with another very different kind (fee our
tab. 374) 5 and Englifh writers have in general been fo indefinite
upon the fubjedf, it is not eafy to underftand which of thefc
two they intended.