62 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
Lecideas, and indeed the present genus seems much nearer to the closely related 
Biatorina. Possibly we should do better to follow some authors and place our species 
with the Biatorinas. 
A single species has been met in the State. On wood and moss. 
Type species Gyalecta epulotica Ach. loc. cit. 
This is a Lecanora, and priority of paging would require that Gyalecta replace 
Lecanora. But again, Parmelia Ach. would take precedence over both Gyalecta 
and Lecanora. Again, it appears from work already done on typification of lichen 
genera that both Lecanora and Parmelia will have to give way to earlier names, if we 
follow rules of priority. This is but one example of the involved questions that arise 
regarding the validity of lichen genera. 
1. Gyalecta lutea (Dicks.) Tuck. Gen. Lich. 131. 1872. Fiaure 9, 
Lichen luteus Dicks. Pl. Crypt. Brit. 1: LL. pl. 2. f. 6. 1785. 
Thallus a thin, smoothish or minutely roughened crust, variously spread over the 
substratum as a continuous or more or less broken layer, greenish and varying toward 
ashy (the latter perhaps the more typical color when free algze are not scattered over 
the surface), sometimes becoming very inconspicuous or disappearing; apothecia 
minute (in ours at least), 0.2 to 0.4 mm. in diameter, sessile, urceolate or becoming 
flattish, the disk pale yellowish or flesh-colored, the proper exciple commonly lighter 
Fic. 9.—G@yalecta lutea. a, Several apothecia; b, section of an apothecium, showing the exciple, the 
hypothecium, and the hymenium. a, Enlarged.6 diameters; b, 90 diameters. From Reinke. 
colored and sometimes obscurely striate, a very thin thalloid exciple also rarely to be 
distinguished in sections; hypothecium and hymenium pale, or the latter yellowish 
above; paraphyses commonly simple, sometimes slightly thickened toward the 
apex, asci cylindrico-clavate; spores fusiform-ellipsoid, 6 to 11 » long and 3 to 4 p 
wide. 
Collected on the islands belonging to the United States in Lake of the Woods, and at 
Emo on the northern boundary. On wood and mosses. 
Elsewhere in North America in New England, New York, Florida, Alabama, 
Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Ontario, and Manitoba. Known also in all of the grand 
divisions. 
SECOLIGA Norm. Nyt. Mag. Naturv. 7: 230. pl. 1. f.9b, 10¢, d; pl. 2. f. 24 a. 1853. 
The thallus is essentially like that of the Gyalectas, crustose and without a distinct 
cortex. In color and thickness, as well as in general appearance, the resemblance is 
quite as great, 
The apothecia are also commonly minute and sessile. They are usually more 
or less concave or even urceolate, and the surrounding proper exciple is more or less 
colored. The thalloid exciple is scarcely ever seen, if present at all, and was not ob- 
served in our species. The hypothecium and the hymenium are pale, or the latter 
slightly colored above. The paraphyses were simple in the material examined, and 
the asci were cylindrico-clavate. The spores are hyaline and 4-celled, or in some of 
the species they may pass from 4 to 10-celled or muriform conditions, 
