LOI 
2 ؟ ؟ 2 ۶ 
E 
10 
Campbell's Islands. | CRYPTOGAMIA ANTARCTICA. 83 
excipulo thallode crassiusculo; margine integerrimo, primum inflexo.; sporis 4-8 in quoque asco, oblongis, utrinque 
obtusis, linea transversa medio notatis. ` 
Mr. Churchill Babington has pointed out to us the affinity of this species with the R. pusilla, Prev. (Fries, Lich. 
Eur. p. 29), a native of the Isles Hyéres in the Mediterranean Sea. Of this plant we possess no specimens, and 
from the description the only points of difference seem to lie in the greater size of the present, which has the apo- 
thecia more separated from the thallus and are plane instead of concave. It is also a native of Tasmania. 
The R. geniculata, nob. (in Lond, Journ, of Bot), is allied to the present species in its fistulose thallus, but is 
much smaller.and very differently branched. A third congener, or perhaps the true R. pusilla, is a native of Tas- 
mania. The other species inhabiting the southern regions, are R. ovata, verrucosa, and terebrata, all allied to, and 
perhaps varieties of, R. scopulorum itself, in many cases almost undistinguishable from R. fraxinea and fastigiata. 
Prate LXXIX. Fig. 1, a specimen of the natural size; 2, an older state of the same; 3, portion of ramulus and 
apothecium ; 4, section of apothecium; 5, portion of lamina proligera ; 6, aseus ; 7, spores :—more or less magnified. 
3. SPHAROPHORON, ۰ 
1. SPHÆROPHORON tenerum, Laurer, in Linnea, vol. ii. p.45. t. 1.f. 4. — S. australe, nobis, in Hook. 
Lond. Journ. of Bot. vol. iii. p. 654. 
Var. g, curtum ; S. curtum, nobis, in Lond. Journ. of Bot. vol. iii. p. 654. 
Has. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; on the ground in turfy places; 8, in more ele- 
vated situations. 
Laurer’s description of this species is very characteristic, though drawn up from a small state of the plant, the 
apothecia not being always small, but sometimes even a line in diameter, they terminate in nearly erect, stout, solid, 
naked, terete branches, are hemispherical, broader than the branch which bears them; in the adult state margined 
only with the remains of a thallodal border, which afterwards falls away entirely. This is the decisive mark between 
all forms of 8. tenerum and S. corallinum, for the colour varies from a rich brown to white and pink. It is an abun- 
dant Australian and Fuegian species. ۲ 
2. SPILEROPHORON australe, Laurer, in Linnea, vol. ii. p. 44. S. insigne, Laurer, 1. c. 
Has. Lord Auckland’s group. 
I am indebted to Mr. Churchill Babington for an authentic specimen of this beautiful species. In the normal 
state it differs widely from 5. compressum, the whole frond being plane, branched in a palmate manner, repeatedly 
and dichotomously divided, with all the divisions divaricating and spread out like a fan, slightly convex above, there 
smooth but hardly shining, pale olive-green or yellowish ; underneath, it is plane or slightly convex, more rugose 
and white; the ramuli of the oldest states are often transversely cracked or articulate; others again, and especially 
the Tasmanian specimens, are membranaceous and buff-coloured, wholly unlike «any other aspect hitherto observed 
in the genus. In alpine specimens, growing with Leptostomum inclinatum, which bear fruit abundantly, the apothecia 
are large, covered with a thin, buff-coloured membrane, fixed wholly to the underside .of the frond, which “appears 
prostrate and branched beyond it. From Lord Auckland’s group and Campbell’s Island we have several varieties 
of this plant; 1. The thallus quite plane, repeatedly dichotomously branched, grey above, white beneath, powdered 
with minute black soredia (or abortive apothecia), the apothecia rare, small, nearly terminal on the under surface of 
the frond. 2. Thallus short, pale yellow, densely tufted, with the ultimate branches broader and truncate ; always 
barren. 3. Thallus short, less divided especially below, white, pale greenish-yellow or pink; ultimate branches 
very short, thin, their apices everywhere tipped with abortive apothecia. 4. Branches few, broader, stouter; :apo- 
thecia large. This is the ordinary fruiting state of the plant in these islands, and some specimens cannot be distin- 
