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LICHEN flaccidus.
Flaccid Gelatinous Lichen.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
G en . C h a r .- Male, scattered warts.
Female, smooth shields or tubercles, in which the
seeds are imbedded.
S pec . Ch a r . Leafy, gelatinous, membranous, granulated,
of a dark blackish green ; its lobes ascending,
rounded, folded, entire. Shields scattered, reddish.
Sy n . Lichen flaccidus. Ach. Prod. 131.
L. rupestris. Linn.Jil. Meth. Muse. 37. Swartz. Act.
Ups. v. 4. 249.
L. pulcher. Leers Herhorn. 257.
L. lacer. Gunn. Norveg. v. 2 . 131. FI. Dan.
t. 470. ƒ . 3.
L. nigrescens. Ehrh. Crypt. 98.
Parmelia flaccida. Ach. Meth. 229.
GATHERED on moist dripping rocks in Westmoreland in
1 7 S 3 . Mr. Dickson about the same time received, it from
Devonshire and Scotland. To him I am obliged for observing
that the younger Linnaeus quotes for this species a wrong synonym
of Dillenius, and yet has taken its description from
that author. The Dillenian plant may remain as L. rupestris
of Withering, though not of Linnaeus, while for the latter
we gladly adopt the infinitely preferable name offlaccidus given
by Acharius. The synonyms of Leers and Gunner stand on
the authority of the late worthy Mr. Zier, and there is every
reason to think them correct. If so, this is also Parmelia
descissa of Ach. Meth. 2 4 8 .
Our specimens were gathered on trees at Pyecombe, Sussex,
in April last by Mr. W. Borrer. The fronds grow in loose
flaccid tufts, not creeping flatly as in L . nigrescens t. 34 5 *,
neither are they rugged or blistered. Their lobes are elevated,
rounded and entire; the upper surface rough or granulated.
The colour is thé dark blackish green common in this tribe,
and is nearly the same on both sides of the frond, but the granulations
are much blacker. Shields scattered, a little elevated,
slightly convex, light reddish brown, with a crenate
margin of the colour of the frond. With age the disk often
falls out in fragments, leaving a very white receptacle. Sometimes
the disk is of a darker hue.
* It is proper to observe that t. 345 is accidentally coloured much too pale
and| green.
If
Ortj.1806. PubüsiïH by J?ifS<nrtriy,JAndtm.