186 GUIDE TO THE STUDY OF LICHENS. 



Spores not simple. 

 Apothecia innate upon upper surface 

 of thallus. 

 Spores acicular, 4-6 celled, colorless 9. Peltigera. 

 Spores two-celled, elliptical, brown 10. Solo'rina. 

 Apothecia innate upon lower surface 



of upturned lobes 11. Nephromium. 



Apothecia discoid, sessile, spores acic- 

 ular, 4-6 celled. 

 Algae blue-green (Polycoccus) . . 12. Stictina. 

 Algae bright-green (Protococcus) . 13. Sticta. 



1. Ephehe. 



This genus evidently does not belong to this family 

 since it has nothing in common with the other genera. 

 The thallus is very minute, fruticose and dark in color. 

 It consists of an alga {Sirosiphon pulvinatus) which is 

 branching and through which the hyphas of the fungal 

 symbiont ramify. In that respect it is highly different 

 from any other lichen-group ; that is the alga forms 

 the supporting and protecting structure while the 

 fungus is the protected symbiont. 



The Ephehes occur upon rock in moist places. It 

 is in most instances very difficult to decide whether 

 the plant be Ephehe or the alga Sirosiphon pulvinatusj 

 which is exactly similar in form and in its habitat. 

 Very frequently the plant bears spermagonia which at 

 once proves it lichen-nature. I am even of the 

 opinion that the spermagonia are the fungal sym- 

 bionts ; these appear as semi-translucent swellings 

 along the side of the branches. A good pocket- 

 lens is necessary to make out the structure of the 

 Ephehes. 



1. Ephehe puhescens. Thallus minute, much 

 branched, rigid when dry, more or less decumbent, 



