120 The Ottawa Naturalist [Dec. 



Biatora (Bilimbia) sabuletorum forma simplicior Nvl. Scand. 

 p. 205 (1861). 

 Thallus not differing from that of the species. Apothecia 

 within brownish-yellow. Spores variable in form and size, 

 oblong or fusiform -oblong or somewhat cymbiform, usually 

 one, sometimes two or three septate, il-18x4-5ju, asci 

 inflated-clavate with a thick apical wall, hypothecium 

 sometimes fuscescent, hymenial gel. with I + blue. 

 Over mosses. Pipestone Pass, Rocky Mountains; Prof. J. 

 Macoun. 



Not heretofore recorded from a Continental North American 

 station. 



Biatora (Bilimbia) syncomista (Flk.) comb. nov. 

 B. artyta (Ach.) Tuck. Gen. p. 162 (1872). 

 Mosses over rocks. Pipestone Pass, Athabasca; Prof. J. 

 Macoun. 



Th. M. Fries in Lich. Scand., Pt. II, p. 336, states that the 

 original specimens of Lecidea artyta Ach., as designated in 

 the Acharian herbarium, are to be referred to Stereocaulon 

 tomentosum b. alpinum and 5. denudatum b. pulvinatum. 

 Acharius in Synopsis p. 20, cites Lecidea sabuletorum 

 b. syncomista Flk. in Berol. Mag. 1808, p. 310, as equivalent 

 to his own L. sabuletorum b. geochroa. On page 33 of the 

 Synopsis he defines Lecidea artyta. This may only be 

 construed as a definite opinion of the distinctness of the 

 two plants. Schaerer in Spiclg., p. 151, cites L. artyta, 

 L. sabuletorum geochroa of Acharius and L. sabuletorum 

 b. syncomista of Floerke as synonymous with his own 

 L. sabuletorum b. muscorum. Tuckerman asserts that 

 Schaerer knew Lecidea artyta, as sent to Acharius by 

 Schleicher, and there is evidence that he was acquainted 

 with the Floerkeian plant, for it is cited with a mark of 

 emphasis. There seems to be a total lack of definite know- 

 ledge regarding L. artyta, and Tuckerman's effort to save 

 the name is merely an example of ingenious inference. 

 While in most of the essentials the authors agree in their 

 descriptions of the species, there are discordances that prove 

 perplexing. The hypothecium is noted to be extremely 

 variable in color, ranging from yellowish to deep black, 

 and the hymenial reaction is given as blue, deep-blue, 

 violet, blue followed by violet and sordid-violet, sordid- 

 vellow or wine-red. The following description of our 

 specimen is inserted for purposes of comparison. 

 Thallus indeterminate, granulose-squamulose, the squamules 

 small, thickened, crenate-lobulate, more or less contiguous, 

 grayish-white K , C . Apothecia sessile, aggregated, 



