126 



covered it. which proved to be a variety of the Crab.'-eye lichen (Lecon<»-a 



^'"''iTie Algal tribe is very much developed everywhere both on land and the sur- 

 face of water, and colours walls and stagnant pools mostly with a green scum, 

 while occasionally a crimson coating is produced, which has at times been a source 

 of terror to superstitious minds. But Algals are mostly of a green colour, and 

 are lovers of moist places whether rocks or damp walls, and it is algalic vegetation 

 that gets upon old neglected churches, and stains their walls even in the mterior 

 as I have often observed. I have seen green spaces on the Malvern hills covered 

 with Lynohva muralis, and not long since I observed the side of a quarry near 

 Malvern beautified by a bright green Ulva. What is called Water-flannel, the 

 Conferva capiUaris of Linneeus, a green flossy substance, m.ay be seen covering 

 the sides of ditches, or the surface of stagnant pools. The trunks of trees are 

 made often to look green by a very common algal called in botanical nomencla- 

 ture H^ematococcus vulgaris. I may also mention a little spreadmg algal known 

 as Botrydium aranulosum* which curiously enough in a hot summer is seen to 

 cover exposed bottoms of dried-up ponds, and is an interesting subject for the 



microscope. , j j .. 



The vegetable organism which I shall now describe forms a hard dense crust 

 upon rocks or buildings, and to the naked eye or a superficial gaze might be sup- 

 posed to be a mere colour of the stone, for it is very hard to get off, but when 

 moistened or rubbed, it gives out a peculiar fragrant scent. I may remark that 

 to be within the limitation boundary of the observation of the Woolhope Club, I 

 have found the JMhus upon very old tombstones in the churchyards of Cradley, 

 Colwall, and Abbeydore, all in Herefordshire. 



This curious substance, conspicuous enough where it has established itself to 

 any great extent, has caused great diversity of opinion among botanists as to 

 where to place it generically, though all agree that being without gonidia it has 

 no claim to be a lichen, although from its crustaceous character it has a very l.ch- 

 enic aspect to a superficial gaze. Linnaeus was the first to observe this appear- 

 ance, and characteristically says, in his Tour in Lapland-" Here and there in 

 the woods lay blood-red stones, or rather stones which appeared to be partially 

 stained with blood. On rubbing them I found the red colour merely external, 

 and perfectly distinct from the stone itself. It was in fact a red Byssus, (and I 

 named it) Byssus Jolithus." But Linnsus afterwards referred it to the Lichen 



tribe. 



Although some botanical writers have ranked the JoUthus among the smaller 

 fungi, its permanence where it has once established itself, and its internal struc- 

 ture removes it with certainty from that tribe, and places it amongst the Algce. 

 Forming as shown by the microscope, branched tubes or filaments enclosing glob- 

 ules, this cryptogamic plant has a confervoid aspect, but these globules, which 

 become red, are different to the conjugating cells of the Confcyvoidea- or ^ygnema- 

 cew and are of a more enduring character. Thus classed with the AlgcB Olobu- 



See page 187 of IVoolhoPe Transactions, 1870, and the diagram opposite page 193. 



