FINK—THE LICHENS OF MINNESOTA. 85 
Though only four Bilimbias have thus far been found in the State, some one or more 
of them may be looked for on almost any common kind of lichen-bearing substratum. 
Type species Bilimbia hexamera De Not. loc. cit. (Bilimbia hypnophila (Ach.) 
Th. Fr.) 
KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
Spores 4-celled; apothecia small, usually adnate, strongly con- 
vex, flesh-colored to reddish brown................22-.-.--. 1. B. sphaeroides. 
Spores 4 to 8-celled. 
Apothecia always black, small or minute, usually flat..... 4. B. acclinis. 
Apothecia becoming black. 
Apothecia at first light brown; hypothecium pale 
brownish to brown......................-.-.2-22-- 2. B. hypnophila. 
Apothecia at first flesh-colored; hypothecium pale to 
pale brownish. ................-22.-222.-20.--02--- 3. B. naegelit. 
1. Bilimbia sphaeroides (Dicks.) Koerb. Syst. Lich. 213. 1855. 
Lichen sphaeroides Dicks. Pl. Crypt. Brit. 1: 9. pl. 2. f. 3. 1785. 
Thallus composed of minute, closely aggregated or even heaped, greenish, sea- 
green, or ashy granules, these forming a usually continuous, thin, and widely spread 
crust, this sometimes becoming leprose or only subgranulose, rarely also becoming 
thicker, and the granules raised and subcoralloid, or the thin crust almost entirely 
disappearing; apothecia small, 0.25 to 0.95 mm. in diameter, adnate or rarely sessile, 
becoming strongly convex and even subglobose, scattered or clustered, flesh-colored to 
reddish brown, the thin exciple disappearing early; hypothecium pale to light brown; 
hymenium pale to pale brownish; paraphyses simple or branched toward the apex, 
this is commonly somewhat enlarged and brownish; asci long-clavate; spores ellipsoid 
to fusiform, 4-celled, 13 to 23 » long and 4 to 7 » wide. 
Generally distributed over the northern portion of the State, but rather rare. On 
mossy tree bases and more rarely on old wood. 
Reported from Florida, but otherwise confined in the United States to the White 
Mountains (New Hampshire) and the Rocky Mountains. (Common throughout British 
America. Known also in Europe and Asia. 
Biatora sphaeroides of the preliminary reports. 
2. Bilimbia hypnophila (Ach.) Th. Fr. Nov. Act. Reg. Soc. Sci. Ups. III. 3: 283, 1861. 
Lecidea hypnophila Ach. Lich. Univ. 199. 1810. 
Thallus composed of minute, crowded, and sometimes more or less confluent granules, 
these forming a crust scarcely differing in appearance from that of the last, tending 
to disappear when on wood; apothecia smaller than in the last, 0.2 to 0.75 mm. in 
diameter, becoming strongly convex and the exciple disappearing, light brown to 
black, adnate or sessile, scattered or clustered; hypothecium pale brownish to dark 
brown; hymenium pale or pale brownish below and darker above; paraphyses simple 
or rather rarely branched, commonly enlarged and brownish toward the apex; asci 
clavate or long-clavate; spores ellipsoid to fusiform, 4 to 8-celled, 16 to 32 » long and 
4 to 7.5 » wide. 
Though very close to the last, the two, commonly united by European lichenists, 
seem distinct as exhibited in our region. Differences in spore measurements, as also 
in size and internal and external coloration of apothecia, are obvious, Bilimbia 
sphaeroides reminding one externally of Biatora vernal. 
Generally distributed over the State. On mossy tree bases, or more rarely on 
earth or old wood. 
Generally distributed over North America, being quite as common northward as 
the last and also well represented southward. Present in Europe, but commonly 
included with the last above. 
Biatora hypnophila of the preliminary reports. 
