j o 3
LICHEN tenuissimus*
Fine-cut gelatinous Lichen.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
G en . Ch a r . M a le , scattered warts.
F em a le , smooth shields or tubercles, in which the
seeds are imbedded.
S pec. Ch a r . Imbricated, gelatinous, greenish black.
L e a v e s m uch divided, into linear unequal somewhat
frin ged segments. Shie lds sessile, reddish brown,
with a th ick entire border.
Syn. L ic h en tenuissimus. Dicks. Crypt, fasc. 1 . 12.
t. 2 . f . 8. Achar. Prod. 139. With. v. 4. 61.
Hull. 298.
Parmelia tenuissima. Achar. Meth. 244.
W H E N Mr. Dickson first paid a visit to Norwich in the
year 1782, this was one of the new cryptogamic plants then
first made known to him by its discoverer Mr. Crowe. Twenty
more, at least, of the same class rewarded their researches
during his stay, most of which have been published since.
This species grows on dry sandy banks among short grass or
moss. Mr. Woodward found it very fine at Ditchingham,
from whence Mr. Turner has sent us specimens.
The fronds or leaves are very minute and crowded, forming
a patch an inch or two broad, of an exceedingly deep olive
brown, almost black. Their texture is thin and gelatinous; their
form palmate; their lobes linear, unequal, jagged or fringed.
The shields are large in comparison of the leaves, sessile, flat,
very dark brown, with a thick elevated entire border, nearly of
the same colour. By drying they become paler and more reddish.
The border is not leafy, as it should seem, by Mr. Dickson’s
figure, t,o be.