204 Dr. H. Karsten on the Sexual Life of 



C. Andinum, Krst. PI. XI. 



Tubulorum articuli 0' 1 2 mm.longi, 0'035 mm. in diametro, gelatinam 

 virescentem includentes ; apothecia plerumque lateralia, albide 

 marginata. 



Crescit in sylvis montuosis Novse Granatse et Venezuela ad arborum 

 ramos ; altitudine 5000-6000'. 



The vital phenomena of this plant, together with the presence 

 of an articulated central tube containing a green though form- 

 less colouring matter and apothecia, intimate its systematic posi- 

 tion to be among the Lichens, where, indeed, both Ehrenberg 

 and Koerber have placed it. 



Each of the cylindrical fibres by the interweaving of which 

 the thallus is formed consists, in the first place, of a central 

 articulated cylinder, or a series of endogenous cells, the walls 

 and septa of which are thickened, coloured blue by a solution of 

 iodized chloride of zinc, and not dissolved in caustic potash ; in 

 the second, of a looser lamina of very delicate branched and 

 anastomosing tubes which surround the central tube ; and in the 

 third place, of an equally delicate structureless cuticle which 

 envelopes the whole plant. The two latter tissues are not coloured 

 blue by the iodized chloride of zinc, whilst they dissolve in solu- 

 tion of potash. 



The branching of the fibres is not very considerable ; still it 

 is sufficient, by the interweaving of all the horizontally-placed 

 fibres and branches, to build up a complex thallus, which extends 

 itself by a peripheral growth from the central portion, or the 

 point by which it adheres to the twig of a tree. 



The discoid apothecia are attached by a short pedicle to the 

 sides of the fibres, in C. Andinum, as well upon the upper as on 

 the under surface of all the fibres in the congeries forming the 

 thallus : they are rarely affixed to the extremities of the fibres. 

 The discoid apothecia are coloured orange-red and surrounded 

 by a white border, which in the earlier phases of growth is very 

 prominent. 



The orange-coloured disk (hymenium) consists of fusiform 

 tubes (figs. 1-6 & 15), which contain each eight bisected 

 elliptical spores (fig. 12), and of somewhat longer ' paraphyses,' 

 similar in form to the spore-tubes, but with globular, enlarged 

 extremities. 



Both the spore-tubes and the paraphyses are supported on 

 short jointed fibres (fig. 12), which are prolonged downwards 

 into the parent-tissue (matrix), consisting of branched, jointed, 

 anastomosing and interwoven narrow cylinders. 



This matrix lies upon a similarly constructed tissue, consist- 

 ing, however, of wider cylinders ; which envelope and anastomose 



