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L i t ) H E N fubtilis .
Fine-Qiun Gelatinous Lichen.
CRYPTOGA MIA Algce.
G en. Char. Male, fcattered warts.
Female, fmooth fhielcls or tubercles, in which the
feeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Gelatinous, dull green, very minute.
Leaves fomewhat imbricated, much branched,
linear, bluntith. Shields central, cluttered, with
a flat brownifh difk, and narrow even border.
Syn. Lichen fubtilis. Schrad. Spirit. 95. Bemhardi
m Schrad. Journ. v . 1 . 5 . t. 1 . f . 6 . Achar.
Prod. 136. Diclf. Crypt, fafe. 4. 25.
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IVTr . EDWARD FORSTER difeovered this Lichen near
Hale End, Walthamftow, in 1 7 9 1 . It has fince been found
in Scotland and Ireland by Mr. Brown.
This is one of the molt minute plants hitherto detedted,
and, as its firtt deferiber the accurate Dr. Schrader obferves,
would fcarcely be vifible to the naked eye, did it not grow
in patches, which are from half an inch to an inch and half
broad, fixed to the naked earth on a clay foil. Our fpecimens
were fent from Coltishall, Norfolk, by Mr. Turner,
The whole plant is of a dull green, gelatinous and pellucid
when moitl, black when dry. The fronds or leaves fpread
from a centre, and are a little imbricated or entangled, varioufly
and repeatedly branched into narrow, waving, entire, bluntith,
flethy fegments, which under a high magnifier appear granulated.
The thields are central, cluttered (in very tmall plants
only folitary,) fefiile, top-thaped, having a flat or rather
elevated brownith granulated dilk, and a narrow entire green
border.
On a careful comparifon of this with our L. cretaceu^ v. 1 1 .
t. 738, under a good microfcope, we find the fronds indeed
very fimilar in fome inftances, but the thields of the latter are
redder, their margin pale brown, and thicker than in L. fubtilis.