SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT 13 



Var. submembranacea M. Lamb, n.var. 



West Graham Land. Palmer Archipelago : Port Lockroy, Goudicr Islet ; south side of islet, about 

 I m. above average sea-level, in the spray zone, on an almost vertical granodiorite face; F.LD.S., 

 16. xii. 1944 (no. 1994). 



Description. A forma typica differt thallo tenui {ad 0-13 mm. crasso), submembranaceo, fere contimio 

 (rimis paiicis angustissimis vel pr. maj. parte tantum lineolis nigr leant ibiis pariim conspicuis indicatis). 

 Thalliis plagtilas irregidares, ambitii saepe obsolete pallido-sonatas, demum sat late cotifluentes format; 

 passim sat crebre glomeridis sordide olivaceis [e ejflorescentia gonidiorum ortis) ad 0-3 mm. latis obsitus. 



Thallus olivaceous-blackish in the living state, smooth, matt, with very few open cracks ; most of the 

 cracks appear to have closed up and are indicated only here and there by very fine dark lines. The 

 relationship to the typical form and the var. deformata, both of which occur close by, is unmistakable. 

 Perithecia scarce, up to 0-17 mm. diam., typical; spores 10-12 x 6-o-7-5/<. 



I was unable to detect any zonational differences between these two varieties and the typical form. 

 They occur together with Caloplaca cirrochrooides (Vain.) Zahlbr. and another halophile Caloplaca not 

 yet determined. All of them become crusted over with salt-water ice to a thickness of 5 cm. in late May, 

 and remain thus encased throughout the winter. 



Verrucaria ceuthocarpa is closely allied to V. tesselattda Nyl. (p. 21); the latter differs in the paler 

 thallus with somewhat larger areolae separated by conspicuous black cracks. 



Verrucaria cylindrophora Vainio (PI. IV, fig. 4) 

 1903, p. 38. 



Not found in the present collections, and known only from the type locality (west Graham Land : 

 Palmer Archipelago, Moreno Island). My reinvestigation of the holotype in herb. Vainio (Exped. 

 Antarct. Beige, no. 196 /)r. p.) gave the following information: 



On non-calcareous fine-grained rock. Thallus extremely thin, a mere film, continuous, black, slightly 

 shining. No visible hypothallus. Perithecia very numerous, evenly scattered, minute, up to 0-15 mm. 

 diam., black, >, hemispherical, matt or slightly shhiing, not impressed or papillate at apex; ostiole 

 invisible. Paraphyses diffluxed, indicated by faint striae in the mucilage. Asci clavate, 20-27 >^ 8-io/<, 

 thin-walled. Spores 6-7 (-8 ?) in ascus, in vertical polyseriate arrangement, cylindrical, straight, rounded 

 at ends, thin-walled, io-5-i20 ;; z-s-yofi. Hymenial gelatine faintly pink with iodine. 



The holotype occurred together with V. elaeoplaca, which indicates a habitat on fresh-water inun- 

 dation surfaces. 



Verrucaria dispartita Vainio (Fig. 3/; PI. IV, fig. 6) 

 1903, p. 38. 



West Graham Land. Palmer Archipelago : Port Lockroy, Goudier Islet ; south side of islet, on 

 vertical rock face just above high-water level, constantly drenched with spray in rough weather; 

 F.I.D.S., 23. iv. 1944 (no. 1222 pr. p.). 



East Graham Land. Trinity Peninsula, south coast : Hope Bay; small islet in the bay, on steep rock 

 face in the spray zone about 0-5 m. above high-tide level; F.I.D.S., 20. xii. 1945 (no. 2564/)/-. p.). 



The specimens agree well with the holotype specimen in herb. Vainio (Exped. Antarct. Beige, 

 no. 199), upon which the following description is based. 



On fine-grained non-calcareous rock. Thallus represented by very scattered minute sooty patches 

 and spots 0-3-0-8 mm. diam., hardly o-i mm. thick. Surface of thallus matt, seen to be ver}' minutely 

 roughened (but not punctate) under x 12 lens. No hypothallus. Perithecia numerous on thallme 



