10 Rhodora [JANUARY 
5. Riccta Lescurtana Aust., Proc. Acad. Philadelphia for 1869: 
232. R. glaucescens Carringt., Grevillea 8: 41. 1879. On moist 
black earth in paths among rocks, in company with R. Austini and 
R. sorocarpa. West Rock Ridge, New Haven, Connecticut (G. E. 
Nichols, 1911). New to New England. The original material of 
R. Lescuriana was collected by Austin near Closter, New Jersey, 
and distributed in Hep. Bor.-Amer. /43. "The species has since been 
recorded from Jacksonville, Florida (J. D. Smith), from Fort Ross, 
California (M. A. Howe), and from Illinois (on the authority of 
Austin). In 1898 Heeg! reported its occurrence in Europe, citing 
specimens from numerous localities, and reduced R. glaucescens to 
synonymy. 
In its most typical condition R. Lescuriana forms rosettes 1.5-2 cm. 
in diameter, but the plants more frequently grow irregularly scattered 
or in indefinite mats. Their color is green when fresh with a somewhat 
glaucous cast, much less marked, however, than in R. Austini and R. 
sorocarpa. As the plants grow older they sometimes become more or 
less tinged with yellow. "The margin is often the same color as the 
rest of the upper surface but is occasionally pigmented with purple, 
and purple spots usually appear over the capsules as they approach 
maturity. The thallus forks from one to four times, the branches 
measuring 2-3 mm. in width and about 3 mm. in length. "The termi- 
nal branches are rounded or bluntly pointed at the apex; on the upper 
surface they show a shallow median groove about one third the width 
of the thallus, bounded on each side by a rounded ridge. The groove 
is usually about a millimeter in length; at its apical end it becomes 
abruptly obliterated through the convergence of the lateral ridges; 
toward its basal end it gradually becomes flattened out, leaving the 
older portions of the thallus plane or nearly so. The ventral scales 
do not extend beyond the margin; they are commonly hyaline and 
inconspicuous but sometimes show a purple pigmentation. Near 
the margin of the thallus several series of cilia can often be demon- 
strated. They average about 0.15 mm. in length and are usually 
bluntly pointed. According to Heeg these cilia are short-lived and 
are sometimes scanty or absent altogether. In the West Rock 
specimens they are very well developed, and their presence is empha- 
sized by Austin in his original description. He even describes two 
varieties, cruciata and trichotoma, based largely on differences in the 
! Bot. Not. 1898: 111. 
