276 DK. LAUBEE LINDSAY ON ABTHONIA MELASPEHMELLA. 



Order 2. Lecideace^. 



1. Lecidea, Ach, 



2. Abrothallus, De Not, 



3. Celidium, TuL 



4. Scutula, TuL 



5. Odontotrema, Nyl 



Order 3. GnAPniDEACEiE. 



1. Arthonia, Ach, 



2. Coniangium, Fr, 



3. Spiloma, Ach. 



Order 4. Lecanoreace^, 



1, Lecanora, Ach, 



It thus appears tliat the alliance is closest and the confusion 

 greatest between the VerrucariacecB among Lichens, and Sphceri- 

 acei among Fungi ; and next^ between LecideacecB and Helvellacei. 



A distiaction between the Yerritcarice and SphcericB has been 

 sought for in the supposed fact that the former, when corticulous, 

 affect exclusively living tree-barks ; while the majority (in this 

 country at least) are probably saxicolous. 



From the circumstance that the same organism has been fre- 

 quently described and named now as a 'Fungus^ now as a Lichen, 

 and transferred, under ever-changing designations, from genus to 

 genus of either or both of these orders, it happens that, in many 

 of them at least, their synonymy Is most perplexing and abun- 

 dant — so much so indeed that I think it would be satisfactory to 

 altogether ignore it, and to have the puzzling plants in question 

 re-examined and re-named, according to current views, hy a council 

 of competent fungologists and lichenologists. To do otherwise, to 

 add to the present superabundance and entanglement of names, 



* 



\ 



V 



is merely to "make confusion worse confounded." 



In order that I may the more clearly set forth the nature of 

 the difficulties to which I am here endeavouring to draw the 

 attention of cryptogamic botanists, In regard to the diagnostic 

 distinction of, or line of separation between, the lower Lichens and 

 Fungi, I subjoin a few illustrative cases, as types of the group of 

 dubious organisms which they represent. 



By the apothecia alone it is impossible to distinguish the genus 

 FateUaria (Fungi) from certain groups, at least, of the genus 

 Lecidea (Lichens). In both the apothecium is roundish, black, 

 and patellsBform ("patella," a platter), discoid, with a margin of 

 similar colour and character to the disk. The true LecidecBj in- 

 deed, the typo of the genus Lecidea^ are characterized by their 

 Patellarioid apothecia*, constituting the Lichen-genus Fatellanai 



* Nyl. Lich. Scand. p. 214, 



