122 16. CHIODECTONACEAE [61. Chiodecton 



or rudimentary or absent; hypothecium hyaline to black; paraphyses branched 

 and interwoven; asci clavate; spores 8, hyaline, several-septate, elongated and 

 variously shaped, the cells cylindrical. 

 The algal host is Trentepohlia. 



A. Spores not more than 20 n in length 



B. Spores 4-5-septate 5. C. ochroleucum 



B. Spores constantly 3-septate 4. C. inscriptum 



A. Spores more than 20 fi in length 



B. Thallus deep red toward the margin 2. C. sanguineum 



B. Thallus not red toward the margin 



C. Thallus yellowish white 6. C. subochroleucum 



C. Thallus whitish or greenish gray 



D. Apothecia reaching 1mm. across 3. C.perplexum 



D. Apothecia rarely more than 0.1mm. across .... 1. C. sphaerale 



1. Chiodecton sphaerale Ach., Syn. Meth. Lich. 108. 1814. 



Thallus thin, smooth to rough, sometimes chinky and minutely granulose, 

 greenish gray to whitish; apothecia minute, 0.04-0.1 mm. across, round to irregu- 

 lar, several to many immersed in each whitish, irregular, wartlike stroma, the disk 

 concave to flat, black; hypothecium dark brown; spores fusiform to almost acicu- 

 lar, 3-septate, 23-35 X 2—3.5 p. 



On trees, Florida. 



2. Chiodecton sanguineum (Swartz) Vainio, Act. Soc. Faun. Flor. Fenn. 7:143, 



144. 1890. 



Byssus sanguineum Swartz, Nov. Gen. & Sp. PI. 148. 17S8. C.rubrocinctum 

 (Ehrh.) Nyl. 



Thallus moderately thick, the central portions greenish gray to whitish or 

 reddish, usually deep red toward the margins, commonly warty or coralloid; apo- 

 thecia small, 0.4-0.6 mm. across, immersed in the whitish stromata, the disk flat, 

 round to irregular, blackish or dirty whitish pruinose; hypothecium brownish 

 black; spores fusiform-ellipsoid, 3-septate, 35-40 X 5-6.5 [x. 



On trees, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Apothecia unknown 

 in the United States. 



3. Chiodecton perplexum Nyl., Act. Soc. Sci. Fenn. 7:485, 486. 1863. 

 Thallus thin, smooth, whitish, becoming obscurely powdery and rarely disap- 

 pearing, except between and about the apothecia, and over the depressed brownish 

 black, irregular, and often shortly lobed stromata; apothecia small to middle- 

 sized, 0.4-1 mm. across, immersed several in a group, round to irregular or more 

 or less elongated; hypothecium brownish black; spores fusiform, often curved, 

 3-septate, 32-42 X 4.5-6.5 fi. 



On trees, Texas. 



4. Chiodecton inscriptum (Nyl.) Fink n. comb. 



Stigmatidium inscriptum Nyl.; Eckf., Bull. Torr. Club 16:105. 1889. Entero- 

 graplm elegans (Eschw.) Tuck. Sclerophyton inscriptum (Nyl.) Mull. Arg. 



Thallus thin, whitish, often chinky and wrinkled; apothecia inconspicuous, very 

 narrow and much elongated, flexuous and dendroid, more or less branched, 1-5 

 X 0.04-0.07 mm., the disk flat, brownish black, immersed in an often somewhat 

 raised thalloid veil; hypothecium blackish brown, extended into a like-colored 

 stroma; spores oblong-ellipsoid to finger-shaped, 3-septate, 11-15 X 4-5.5 fi. 



On trees, Florida and Louisiana. 



5. Chiodecton ochroleucum Zahlbr., Bull. Torr. Club 27:646. 1900. 



Thallus thin, yellowish white, becoming thicker, chinky, and rough; apothecia 

 small to middle-sized, 0.8-1.5 mm. across, usually clustered, becoming superficial, 

 each seated on a separate brownish black stroma, round to irregular, the disk flat, 

 blackish or more or less whitish pruinose, the exciple thick and raised, soon flex- 



