72 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
pale to reddish brown, or in ours black, the thin exciple soon disappearing; hypothe- 
cium pale or yellowish; hymenium pale; paraphyses simple or rarely branched, 
seldom thickened or much darkened toward the apex; asci clavate or cylindrico- 
clavate; spores ovoid-ellipsoid, 13 to 16 » long and 7 to 9 » wide. 
The plant referred to this species was collected at Warroad, On trees. 
Elsewhere known in the United States from the extreme southern States. It con- 
tinues southward through Mexico into South America. Known also in Europe and 
Africa. 
Biatora mutabilis of the preliminary reports. 
7. Lecidea vernalis (L.) Ach. Meth. Lich. 68. 1803. 
Lichen vernalis L. Syst. Nat. ed. 12. 234. 1768. 
Thallus composed of very minute, scattered or contiguous, ashy to sea-green, 
irregular or hemispherical granules, these about 0.1 to 0.2 mm. in diameter, com- 
monly widely spread over the substratum as a more or less continuous layer, or when 
on wood sometimes becoming compacted into a smoother, less granular, chinky crust, 
usually quite thin; apothecia adnate, small, commonly 0.15 to 0.85 mm. in diameter, 
becoming very convex and the exciple disappearing, often clustered and even con- 
glomerate, the disk from pale yellowish to reddish brown and even blackening; hypo- 
thecium pale brownish to brown; hymenium pale brownish; paraphyses simple or 
branched toward the apex, pale or brownish-tinged, the apex sometimes thickened; 
asci clavate; spores oblong-ellipsoid, 12 to 17 » long and 4 to 6 #. wide, sometimes 
2-celled. 
Generally distributed over the northern portion of the State. On mosses, especially 
at the bases of trees, and also rarely on wood. 
Distributed throughout the northern United States and northward to arctic America. 
Known in all of the grand divisions. 
Biatora vernalis of the preliminary reports. 
8. Lecidea sanguineoatra (Wulf.) Ach. Meth. Lich. 50. 1803. 
Tachen sanguineoater Wulf. in Jacq. Coll. Bot. 8: 116. 1789. 
Thallus composed of commonly closely aggregated and even heaped, sea-green or 
ashy-gray, irregular or subhemispherical granules, these somewhat larger-than those 
of the last, 0.1 to.3.5 mm. in diameter, and like the last widely spread over the 
substratum, but forming a somewhat thicker layer, never becoming smooth and 
chinky or subareolate; apothecia adnate, somewhat larger than in the last; 0.20 to 
1 mm. in diameter, flattish to strongly convex, the margin disappearing in the latter 
condition, the disk dark rusty-brown passing through sanguineous to black with age, 
scarcely so much inclined to the strongly convex condition as in the last, the apothecia 
also not as much inclined toward the clustered condition; hypothecium brown; 
hymenium pale brownish; paraphyses simple or branched toward the apex, there 
commonly thickened and brownish; asci clavate or cylindrico-clavate; spores ellip- 
soid, varying toward fusiform, the 2-celled condition of the last not seen, 9 to 18 p 
long and 3.5 to 5.5 » wide. 
Sometimes considered a subspecies of the last, but ours at least seems distinct. 
Distribution and habitats in Minnesota the same as of the last. 
To be looked for in all portions of the United States and northward at least to New- 
foundland and Alaska, thus on the whole somewhat more southern in its distribution 
than the last. Known also in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 
Biatora sanguineoatra of the preliminary reports. 
