LICHEN scutatus.
Target-fruited Leathery Lichen.
CRYPTOGAMIA Algce.
G en. Char. Male, scattered warts.
Female, smooth shields or tubercles, in which the
seeds are imbedded.
Spec. C har. Frond coriaceous, spreading, brownish
grey ; pale, reddish, and veiny beneath; lobes
oblong, their margin crisped and powdery. Shields
in front, somewhat stalked, round, dark brown,
with an inflexed, pale, crenate border.
Syn. Lichen scutatus. Dicks. Crypt, fasc. 3. 18, without
the synonym. IVith. v. 4. 71. Hull. 300.
Ach. Prod. 166.
L. collinus. Ach. Prod. 162.
Peltidea scutata. A ch . Meth. 285.
P. rufescens j3. A ch . Meth. 285.
X F O U N D th is o n trees in W e s tm o re la n d in 1782, (w h en ,
fo r w a n t o f fru it, n o o n e would dare to d e te rm in e it,) and in
lin e p e rfe c tio n a t H a fo d m an y years a fte r. I t proves to be
M r. D ic k s o n ’s L. scutatus, as he h im s e lf in fo rm s m e ; c o n se q
u e n tly w h a t Professor A c h a riu s ha s adopted from h im u n d e r
th a t n am e . T h a t it is th e collinus also o f th e last a u th o r, is-
d e te rm in ed by his ow n ex am in a tio n o f my sp e c im en s. H ow
fa r be is n ow rig h t in m a k in g it a variety o f rufescens, m u st
be left fo r fu tu re co n sid e ra tio n . A s to th e scutatus o f W u lf e n ,
i t is m o st evidently th e sepincola, an d surely n o t even a variety.
O u r p re sen t specimen was ga th e red on trees a t In v e ra ry b y
M r . T u rn e r a n d M r. W . J . Ho o k e r. T h e fro n d s spread in
b ro ad loose p a tc h e s, lik e th e imb ric a ted L ic h e n s , over th e tru n k s
o f old tree s, am o n g L. pulmonarius, &c. T h e y are le a th e ry ,
sm o o th an d o f a b row n ish o r g re en ish grey a b o v e ; pale w ith
red d ish as well as b lack veins b e n e a th , th o u g h n ak ed o f fibres
e x c e p t th e a c tu a l ro o ts. T h e lobes are sin g u la rly e longa ted,
a n d as rem a rk ab ly crisped and powdery a t th e ir edges. T h e ir
ex trem itie s fo rm a k in d o f sta lk to th e fla t, ro u n d , d a rk -b row n
sh ie ld s, each o f w h ic h ha s a n a rrow , inflexed, c ren a te , pale
b o rd e r.-------O u r E n g lish tran s la to rs m a k e ' M r. D ic k so n d e scribe
th is as “ v e in le ss” b e n e a th , th o u g h he o n ly says nudus.