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L I C H E N lentigerus.
White Ground Lichen.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
Gen. Char. Male, fcattered warts.
Female, fmooth fhields or tubercles, in which the
feeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Cruftaceous, rounded, lobed and waved,
lomewhat imbricated, greenifh white. Shields a
little convex, reddith buff-coloured, with a white
margin.
S yn . Lichen Ientigerus. Weber. Goett. 192. t. 3.
debar. Prod. 103. Relb. 430. t. 7. With. v. 4. 27.
Hull. 292.
Pfora lentigera. Hoffm. PI. Lich. t. 48. ƒ. 1.
A COMPANION of the Lichen reprefented inourlaft plate,
on the dry chalky heaths and hills of Cambridgelhire, for fpe-
cimens of which we are obliged to Mr. Relhan and Mr. Holme.
It firft appeared as a Britilh fpecies in the Flora Cantabri-
gienjts, accompanied by a figure, and is in its native fituations
fo elegant and ftrikingan objebt, that we wonder it could efcape
all preceding writers. It forms roundifh patches an inch or
two in diameter, confilling of a thickifh chalky cruft, clofely attached
to the ground, fnow-white within, and frequently fo
on the upper fide, though generally tinged (when moift) with
a pale green hue, particularly near the circumference, which
is crenate lobed and undulated, the very edge being pure white.
The whole plant has, as Weber exprefles it, a kind of porcelainlike
brilliancy. The fhields are numerous, moderately raifed,
with a flightly convex dilk of a waxy brownifh buF-colour,
furrounded by a white border. By age apparently they become
fprinkled with little black protuberances, which Ihould feem to
be the feeds; and yet we have found them on fome fhields
whofe fxnall fize, and therefore probably tender age, fcarcely
authorifed this opinion, and would rather induce a fufpicion of
thefe black fubftances being parafitical.