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L I C H E N probofcideus.
Fringed Button Lichen.
C R Y P T 0 G A M I A Alges.
G en . C h a r . Male, fcattered warts.
Female, fmooth fhields or tubercles, in which the
feeds are imbedded.
S p e c .Char. Umbilicated, lobed, fringed. Tubercleson
footftalks, their difk marked with concentric lines.
Syn. Lichen probofcideus. Linn. Sp. PI. 1617. FI
Lapp. ed. 2. 453 *. Hudf. 551. With.v. 4.65.
L . crinitus. Light/. 860.
Umbilicaria crinita. Rojfnu PI. Lich. t. 44.
Lichenoides corneum, marginibus eleganter fitnbri-
atis. Dill. Mufc. 218. t. 29. ƒ. 116.
O n quartz or granite rocks in alpine countries. We have
received fpecimens from feveral of our correfpondents in Scotland,
Wales, and the north of England.
This is one of that Angular tribe of Lichens called umbilicated,
becaufe they grow attached by a central ftrong root, and
are confequently much deprefled in the middle of their upper
fide. This fpecies is more lobed and expanded than fome
others; its colour is a greenifh grey when wet, its furface flightly
wrinkled, and its margin thickly fringed with black branched
wiry hairs, from whence Mr. Lightfoot named it very aptly
crinitus, and Profeflor Hoffmann adopted his name, being
doubtful whether.the plant in queftion were the L. probofcideus
of Linnaeus or n o t: as however the Linnasan herbarium has removed
that uncertainty, we retain the original denomination.
The doubt arofe from Linnaeus, as Lightfoot very truly ob-
ferves, having “ quoted a figure of Dillenius that has no re-
“ femblance to it, and negle£ted others of the fame author,
“ which are very good, and exaftly tally with it.” The tubercles
of this Lichen are copioufly produced, quite black, ftand-
irig on footftalks ; their upper furface formed of irregular concentric
lines, and looking much like one end of a piece of
coarfe black ribband rolled loofely together, fo that there is
generally a cavity or perforation in the middle among the folds.
Smaller feflile tubercles are fcattered over the frond, which
have a fort of margin, and appear to be in a young ftate. The
real L. deuftus of Linnaeus differs from this in being more Ample,
and entirely deftitute of marginal fringe.