32 



COLLEMACEI. [LICHINA. 



1. L. pygmsea Ag. Syn. Alg. 1817, p. 9 ; Nyl. Syn i. p. 91, t. ii. 

 f. 16. Thallus somewhat small, caespitosely branched, greenish- or 

 brownish-black ; branches erect, compressed upwards, obtuse at the 

 apices. Apothecia small, concolorous, the ostiole slightly open or 

 irregularly dehiscent; spores 0,022-29 mm. long, 0,011-16 mm. 

 thick. Gray, Nat. Arr. i. p. 388 ; Hook. El. Scot. ii. p. 90 ; Sm. 

 Engl. Fl. v.' p. 270 ; Grev. Scot. Crypt, t. 219 ; Tayl. in Mack. El. 

 Hib. 'ii. p. 170 ; Mudd, Man. p. 33, t. i. f. 1 ; Cromb. Lich. Brit. 

 p. 2 ; Leight. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 3, xvi. p. 12, t. iv. 

 f. 21 ; Lich. Fl. p. 13, ed. 3, p. 11Fucus pygmaus Lightf. EL 

 Scot. ii. (1777) p. 964, t. 32 ; With. Arr. ed. 3, p. 100 ; Turn. Hist. 

 Fuc. t. 204. ff. a-Ji ; Eng. "Bot. t. 1322. Fucus pumilus Huds. Fl. 

 Aiigl. ed. 2, p. 584. Brit. Exs. : Leight. n. 260 ; Larbal. Caesar. 

 n. 51 ; Cromb. n. 1. 



This plant, which is about half an inch or a little more in height, 

 might certainly, at first flight, be taken for a diminutive Fucus. The 

 fructification, however, sufficiently shows its true systematic place ; and 

 indeed, considering that Lightfoot (I. c.) pointed out how nearly it was 

 related to Lichens, it is strange that it should have been so long referred 

 to the Algge. Both the apothecia and the sperinogones are numerous, 

 the latter with spermatia ellipsoid or oblongo-ellipsoid, about 0,003 mm. 

 long, 0,001 mm. thick. 



Hub. On rocks exposed to the action of the tide in maritime districts. 

 Distr. General and common on all the more rocky coasts of the Channel 

 Islands, Great Britain, and Ireland, but apparently not occurring in the 

 N.E. of Scotland. B. M. : Islands of Guernsey, Sark, and Alderney. 

 Ventnor, Isle of Wight ; Ilsham rocks, near Torquay, Bigbury Bay, and 

 Boveysand Bay, Devonshire ; Mount's Bay, St. Minver, and Scilly Isles, 

 Cornwall ; near Peel, Isle of Man ; near Whitehaven, Cumberland. 

 Near Caroline Park, Edinburgh ; Loch Creran and Island of Mull, 

 Argyleshire. Near Castlefreke, co. Cork : coast of Connemara, Galway. 



2. L. confinis Ag. Sp. Alg. 1823, p. 105. Thallus rather small, 

 densely caespitosely branched, olive- or brownish-black ; branches 

 erect, rounded, subfastigiate. Apothecia small, concolorous, the 

 ostiole slightly open or irregularly dehiscent; spores 0,022-29 mm. 

 long, 0,01 1-16 mm. thick. Sm. Engl. Fl. v. p. 270 ; Tayl. in Mack. 

 Fl. Hib. ii. p. 170 ; Mudd, Man. p. 34 ; Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 2 ; 

 Leight. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 3, xvi. p. 12, t. 4. f. 22; 

 Lich. Fl. p. 13, ed. 3, p. 12. Lichen confinis Ach. Prodr. (1798) 

 p. 208 ; Eng. Bot. t. 2575. Fucus pygmceus fl. minor Turn. Hist. 

 Fuc. t. 204. ff. i-o. Lichina pumila Gray, Nat. Arr. i. p. 388. 

 Lichina pyymcea /5. minor Hook. Fl. Scot. ii. p. 98. Brit. Exs. : 

 Larbal. Caesar, n. 1 ; Lich. Hb. n. 281. 



From L. pygmaa, to which it is subsimilar, this is distinguished by 

 being considerably smaller, scarcely \ in. high, even in favourable situa- 

 tions, and by having the branches more crowded and not compressed. 

 The apothecia are frequent, though in situations farther removed from 

 tidal action it often occurs infertile. The spermogones, especially in 

 otherwise barren specimens, are very abundant, with spermatia 0,0030- 

 35 miu. long, 0,001 mm. thick. 



