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L I C H E N faxatilis.
Grey Stone Lichen.
C R T P T OGAM JA Alga.
Gen. Char. Male, fcattered warts.
Female, fmooth fhields or tubercles, in which the
feeds are imbedded.
Spec. Char. Imbricated; its fegments finuated, rough,
pitted, grey; black and thaggy beneath. Shields
bright chefnut.
Syn. Lichen faxatilis. Linn. S /. PI. 1609. Hudf. 531.
Light/. 816. With. v. 4. 33. Hull, 294. Relh.
427. Sihth. 325. Abbot, 264.
Lichenoides erufta foliofa, fuperne cinereo-glauca,
inferne nigra et cirrhofa, fcutellis nigricantibus,
Raii Syn. 72.
L . vulgatiffimum cinereo-glaucum lacunofum et
cirrhofum. Dill. Mufc. 188. t. 24.ƒ. 83.
T HOUGH called faxatilis, this Lichen is no lefs common
on trunks of trees in every fituation, than on rocks and ftones
in the more mountainous counties. It is found all the year
round, but by no means generally in fru&ification. Large
old fpreading rock fpecimens are moft likely to be met with in
that ftate; and fuch are often rough with fmall grey branching
meally warts, efpecially about the centre.
The fronds fpread circularly in a rugged imbricated manner,
and are of a grey or afh colour above, full of pits and warty
projecting lines ; underneath thev are quite black, and clothed
with denfe branching fhort black hair3, but not quite to the
outer edge, which is brown and fhining. The fhields are a
little elevated; externally of the colour of the frond, with a
broad incurved meally edge; internally of a Bright polifhed
chefnut or bay colour. Dillenius allures us from the examination
of original fpecimens, that Lichenoides No. 65, Raii Syn.
73. is merely a variety of this; and juftly remarks that the
plant often acquires red and rufty ftains during winter. We
believe fuch ftains to be owing to the urine of animals, which
from its alkaline quality tinges many Lichens red,