126 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
An arctic and subarctic form widely distributed in British America, and found in 
Alaska. Known also in Europe, Asia, and Africa. 
27. Cladonia fimbriata (L.) Hoffm. Deutsch. FI. 2: 122. 1795. 
Lichen fimbriatus L. Sp. Pl. 1152. 1753. 
Primary thallus commonly persistent, composed of digitate or irregularly incised or 
lobate, flat or concave, frequently involute or convolute, ascending, clustered or 
scattered medium-sized squamules, these 2 to 9 mm. long and wide; sea-green above 
varying toward olivaceous or whitish, below whitish or darkening toward the base, 
sometimes sorediate-granulose below and along the edges; podetia arising from the 
surface of the squamules, 4 to 80 mm. long and 0.5 to 3.5 mm. in diameter, cylindrical 
to tubeeform or rarely turbinate, commonly clustered into larger or smaller groups, 
erect, or rarely ascending or irregularly curved, commonly decorticate and more or 
less sorediate, or areolate or verrucose-corticate toward the base or the corticate basal 
portion even subcontinuous, destitute of squamules or more or less squamulose, espe- 
cially toward the base; sea-green varying toward whitish or brownish, the decorticate 
portions commonly whitish, sometimes scyphiform, or the apices frequently cornute 
or subulate; cups well developed or abortive, abruptly or gradually dilated, regular 
or irregular, the cavity commonly deep, the margin entire, dentate, or proliferate, the 
proliferations 1 to several and the ranks 1 to 3; apothecia commonly medium-sized, 
0.8 to 2 mm. in diameter, solitary and rounded or irregularly conglomerate; sessile or 
pedicellate on the margins of the cups or at the cornute or subulate apices, flat and 
thinly margined or more commonly becoming convex and immarginate, brown or 
reddish brown; hypothecium pale; hymenium pale or pale brownish below and 
brownish above; paraphyses rarely branched, commonly thickened and brownish 
toward the apex; asci clavate or cylindrico-clavate. 
Generally distributed over the State, in some of the several following forms. On 
earth and old wood. 
Generally distributed over North America, though the subspecies are not, as a rule, 
well enough known to permit any definite statement to be made concerning their 
American distribution. Cosmopolitan also in its foreign distribution. 
The subspecies given below are connected by various intermediate forms and alto- 
gether form the most confusing assemblage of lichens known to our flora. The best 
descriptions can do little more than lessen the difficulties of determination. 
27a. Cladonia fimbriata simplex (Weiss) Wainio, Act. Soc. Faun. Flor. Fenn. 
10: 256. 1894. 
Lichen pyxidatus simplex Weiss, Pl. Crypt. Gott. 84. 1770. 
Podetia scarcely exceeding 3 to 30 mm. in length, scyphiform, the cups well 
developed, 2 to 7 mm. in diameter, regular or becoming suboblique, with entire or 
dentate margins, the podetium erect and straight; apothecia sessile or pedicellate 
on the margins of the cups. Doctor Wainio further divides the variety into two 
subvarieties.¢ 
Thus far found only in the northern portion of the State. 
The plant is widely distributed in North America. Known also in all the grand 
divisions. 
27b. Cladonia fimbriata prolifera (Retz.) Mass. Sched. Crit. Lich. Exsice. no. 155. 
1855. 
Lichen fimbriatus prolifer Retz. Fl. Scand. Prodr. 232. 1779. 
Podetia 20 to 70 mm. long, scyphiform, repeatedly proliferate from well-developed 
cups, commonly straight and erect, wholly decorticate and for most part sorediate, 
or having a minutely areolate or verrucose cortex below, sometimes squamulose, 
especially toward the base; cups 2 to 10 mm. in diameter, commonly somewhat 
4See Wainio, Act. Soc. Faun. Flor. Fenn. 10: 258. 1894. 
