3 2 [ 2400 ]
VA R I O L A R I A griseo-virens,
Greyish-green Variolaria,
CRYPTOGAM1A Algce,
Gen. Char. Receptacles cup-shaped, with a torn
border from the crust, powdery, with a fertile
disk beneath.
Spec. Char. Crust elliptical, thin, slightly tartareous,
rugged, grey, scarcely limited, Receptacles
roundish, with a narrow border. Powder g reen ish.
Syn. V ario la ria griseo-yirens. Turn, and Borr. Lich.
Brit. v. 1. 54.
O n the smooth cuticle of the bark of birch and cherry trees,
given us by Mr. W . Borrer, from Stratton-strawless heath,
Norfolk. The grey brownish crust looks like a dirty stain, or
mass of decayed L ep ra ria but on examination proves to be of
a continued, rugged, though thin substance, and composes oblong
transverse patches, an inch or two in length, and half an
inchin breadth. The colour is the same, whether the plant
be moist or dry. The little pale-green fructification, either
scattered or crowded, readily discovers this species when once
known. Each receptacle is roundish, with a narrow border,
mostly concealed by the protruding powder, which turns
greener or yellowish with moisture.
We can no longer decline adopting'this genus, which our
friends ahove cited have well illustrated, and to which they
refer our Spiloma Vitiligo, t. 2075, of whose “ mar go spu-
xius ” we could not but be aware, but we thought there were
hairs intermixed with its powder. The propriety of establishing
Variolaria is hinted in v. 24. 1713. though the nature of
the powder it bears is still a mystery. See 1 .1713,1714,2008,
2061,2401, for others of this genus,