104 IS. GRAPHIDACEAE [52. Melaspilea 



1. Melaspilea maculosa (E. Fries) Mull. Arg., Mem. Soc. Phys. Hist. Nat. 



Geneve 19:21. 1887. 



Glyphis maculosa E. Fries, Vet. Akad. Handl. III. 8:44. 1820. M. angulosa Hue. 



Thallus thin, smooth, greenish gray to ashy white, or disappearing and the 

 imbedded portion indicated at the surface by an ashy coloration; apothecia small 

 to middle-sized, 0.4-1 mm. across, and sometimes elongated to 1.5 mm., irregular, 

 slightly immersed to adnate, the disk flat, black, the exciple thin, black, usually 

 prominent; hypothecium hyaline to brownish; paraphyses conglutinate ; asci sub- 

 pyriform; spores hyaline to brownish, oblong, 18-24 X 8-11 /x. 



On trees, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. 



2. Melaspilea constrictella (Stirt.) A. L. Smith, Brit. Lich. 2:228. 1911. 

 Opegrapha constrictella Stirt., Scott. Nat. 4:29. 1877. 



Thallus very thin to thin, smooth, whitish, sometimes disappearing; apothecia 

 short to somewhat elongated and narrow, 0.3-0.8 X 0.1-0.2 mm., sometimes 

 crowded, the disk closed to more or less open, concave to flat, black, the exciple 

 thin, black, prominent; hypothecium hyaline; paraphyses indistinct; asci clavate; 

 spores hyaline to brownish, obovoid, one cell larger, 12-17 X 4.5-7 /x. 



On trees, Louisiana and California. 



3. Melaspilea demissa (Tuck.) Zahlbr., Cat. Lich. Univ. 2:273. 1924. 



Opegrapha demissa Tuck., Syn. N. A. Lich. 2:134. 1888. Hazslinszkya demissa 

 (Tuck.) Schneid. 



Thallus very thin, whitish, or disappearing, and the imbedded portion indicated 

 at the surface by an ashy white coloration; apothecia very short and narrow, 0.2- 

 0.4 X 0.1-0.2 mm., irregularly oblong or elliptical, sessile, the disk closed to more 

 or less open, flat, black, the exciple thin, black, prominent; hypothecium hyaline; 

 paraphyses unbranched; asci clavate to subpyriform; spores hyaline to brown, 

 ovoid, one cell larger, 1 5-2 1 X 6-9 /*. 



On trees, Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Iowa. 



4. Melaspilea deformis (Schaer.) Nyl., Act. Soc. Linn. Bord. 21:416. 1856. 

 Opegrapha cymbiformis var. deformis Schaer., Lich. Helv. Spic. sec. 7. 331. 



1836. 



Thallus very thin, smooth, whitish; apothecia small, 0.2-0.4 mm. across or 

 elongated to 0.6 mm., round to variously irregular, sessile, the disk flat, black, the 

 exciple thin, black, rarely disappearing; hypothecium hyaline; paraphyses indis- 

 tinct; asci broadly clavate to subpyriform; spores hyaline, ovoid, one cell larger, 

 12-17 X 5-6.5/*. 



On trees, New Hampshire. 



5. Melaspilea cinerascens (Willey) Fink n. comb. 



Opegrapha cinerascens Willey, Enum. Lich. New Bedford, Mass. 30. 1892. 



Thallus very thin, smooth, greenish gray to ashy, sometimes disappearing, and 

 the imbedded portion indicated at the surface by a grayish coloration; apothecia 

 short to elongated and narrow, 0.4-0.8 X 0.1-0.25 mm., sessile, the disk closed to 

 more or less open, flat, black, the exciple thin, black, prominent; hypothecium 

 hyaline; paraphyses unbranched; asci cylindrico-clavate; spores 4-8, hyaline, 

 oblong-ovoid, one cell larger, 12-17 X 4-6.5 /x. 



On old wood, Massachusetts. 



6. Melaspilea octomera Mull. Arg., Bull. Herb. Boiss. 3:43. 1895. 



Thallus very thin, smooth, greenish gray to whitish; apothecia short to middle- 

 sized and narrow, 0.5-1 X 0.25-0.3 mm., irregularly oblong, sessile, the disk closed 

 to more or less open, flat, black, the exciple black, prominent, becoming longi- 

 tudinally furrowed; hypothecium brownish; spores hyaline to brownish, ellipsoid 

 to fusiform, 5-7-septate, 18-25 X 5-7 \i. 



On trees, Florida and Louisiana. 



