CRYPTOGAMIA ALGJE, 893 



Upon rocks both in the Highlands and Lowlands 

 not uncommon. 



It refembles a lock of coarfe wool from a black 

 fhcep, partly fufcous, but moftly black, and 

 without glofs. The filaments are about an inch, 

 feldom two inches long, crowded too-ether and 

 entangled one with another, much branched, 

 and cylindrical throughout, the branches di- 

 vided into fhort capillary fegments. But what 

 principally diftinguillies this from the preceding, 

 is nor only the tenuity, fhortnefs, and frequency 

 of ths branches, but that many fhort fine Capil- 

 lary fibres, like fpinules, grow horizontally ouc 

 of the fides of the filaments. 



The plant, when dry, is rigid ; when moifl, fofter 

 and flaccid. 



L. fiiimentofus ramofiffimus decumbens implexus 

 nitidus. Sp. pi. 1623. {BilleJi. mufc. t. i^j. f. 32.) 



Black Lace Lichen. Anglis. 



Upon the rocks on the Highland mountains not 

 unfrequent. 



This grows in tufts of a black-fufcous, and often 

 an entire black colour. It confifts of Imooth, 

 rigid, glofiy fibres, not bigger than a horfe- 

 hair, nearly of equal fize in every part, about 

 half an inch long, dicbotomoufly and widely 

 branched, terminated at the extremities with 

 fhort bifid horns, and fo interwoven with each 



other 



