JL I C H E N decipiens.
Stellated Ground Lichen.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
G en. Char. Male, icattered warts.
Female, fmooth fhields or tubercles, in which the
feeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Cruftaceous; the fronds feparate,
roundifh, rather concave, tawny-red ; white at the
margin and underneath. Shields marginal, convex,
black.
Syn. Lichen decipiens. Hedwig. Crypt, v. 2. t. 1 .ƒ. B.
Achar. Prod. 96. With. v. 4. 26. Hull. 293.
L. flellatus. Relh. 430.
Plora decipiens. Hoffm. PI. Lich. t. 4 3 -ĥ 1 3 *
\ Y E have received fpecimens of this pretty Lichen, not
only from Gogmagog hills by favour of Mr. Relhan, who firft
found it in Britain, and of Mr Holme, but even from the
highland mountains of Scotland, where the Rev. Mr. Stuart
and Mr. Don collefted it. The latter is a new ftation for a
plant hitherto fuppofed peculiar to a calcareous foil.
Its fronds grow on the earth, feparate and diftinct, not imbricated,
though often crowded together as they increafe in fize.
They are concave, roundifli or irregularly angular, of a bright
reddilh or tawny hue when young, with an elegant white edge,
fo that they might eafily be miftaken for fhields (fee Relhan);
whence probably the name decipiens given by Ehrhart. The
under fide is white. In decay the whole frond turns to a dark
dirty brown. The real fhields are marginal, black, at length
convex, and almoft globular, frequently remaining after the
frond that bears them is turned quite brown and decayed.
This Lichen is well figured and defcribed under the name of
flvtloides by Wulfen in Jacq. Coll. v. 3 . 103. t. 3 . / . 3 .