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LICHEN virellus. ■
Little Green Imbricated Lichen,
CRYPTOGAMIA Algce.
Gen. Char. Male, scattered warts.
Female, smooth shields or tubercles, in which the
seeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Imbricated, flexible, stellated, greyish-
green ; its segments flat, short, lobed, obtuse;
black and spongy beneath; sprinkled above with
powdery warts and reddish lucid grains. Shields
dark brown, with a green, smooth, inflexed border,
Syn. Lichen virellus. Ach. Prod. 108.
Parmelia vireHa. Ach. Meth. 201.
GATHERED by Mr. W. Borrer on trees and pales in
Sussex, and ascertained by comparison with specimens from
Dr. Acharius.
The fronds form small irregular patches, spreading in a radiant
manner, but often running into each other, and may
easily be separated, when moist, from the wood or bark.
The segments are short, narrow, zigzag, obtusely lobed,
somewhat imbricated, flat and smooth above, of a fine green
when wet, changing to a pale dull grey when dry. Pale
powdery warts are scattered over them, and towards the
younger extremities are often found small smooth prominent
little points or grains, when fresh and moist clear and reddish,
but soon becoming black. The under side of the frond is
clothed with dense black spongy hairs, which project like a
fringe beyond the edges. The shields are scattered, nearly
sessile, small, round, dark reddish brown or black, rather
concave, with a thick smooth elevated entire margin, of the
colour and substance of the frond. Sometimes a sort of
fringe invests the shields underneath, supposed to be an exclusive
character of L . ulothrix of Acharius, which however
we think a distinct species from this. How far L . cycloselis
of the same eminent author, a very common plant, is distinct
from virelkis, we are by no means satisfied.