108 LICHENACEl. [GOMPHILLTJS. 



superficial resemblance to the Caliciei, yet, unless it constitutes a separate 

 and intermediate tribe, it may, from its general habit, be referred as an 

 aberrant genus to the Bceomycetei. 



1. Gr. calicioides Nyl. Act. Soc. Linn. Bord. ser. 3, i. (1857) 

 p. 146 ; Syn. i. p. 175, t. 7. f. 3. Thallus very thin, somewhat 

 varnished, effuse or obsolete, greyish or greyish-green. Apothecia 

 small, pale ; stipes narrowly canaliculate ; capitulum subturbinato, 

 dark or blackish ; spores very long, cylindrical, fasciculately con- 

 stipate in vertical canaliculi of the thalamium, 60-100-septate, 

 0,160-0,200 mm. long, and sometimes of even greater length. 

 Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 15; Leight. Lich. PI. p. 52, ed. 3, p. 50. 

 Bceomyces calicioides Del. in Dub. Bot. Gall. (1830) p. 636. 



This plant has a somewhat fungoid aspect, but analysis shows it to be 

 a lichen. The thallus is normally orbicular ; but is at length more or 

 less widely spreading. Its varnished appearance and the numerous 

 bseomycetoid apothecia easily distinguish it. The frequent spermogones 

 are brownish-black, the spermatia about 0,001 mm. long, scarcely 

 0,0005 mm. thick. 



Hob. Incrusting decaying mosses on the ground in upland situations. 

 Distr. Only in N. Wales and N.W. Ireland. B. M. : Barmouth, 

 Merionethshire. Letter Hill, co. Galway. 



Form microcephalus Nyl. Syn. i. (1860) p. 175. Apothecia 

 smaller, more shortly stipitate. Carroll, Journ. Bot. 1867, p. 254 ; 

 Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 15 ; Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 52, ed. 3, p. 50. Bito- 

 myces microcephalus Tayl. in Mack. Fl. Hib. ii. (1836) p. 78. 

 Brit. Exs. : Cromb. n. 115, 



In this form, differing from the type only in the smaller apothecia, the 

 stipes is occasionally so short that the apothecia are almost sessile on 

 the thallus. 



Hab. Incrusting decaying mosses on trees and boulders in shady places 

 in wooded upland tracts. Distr. Local and scarce in the W. Highlands, 

 Scotland, and in S.W. Ireland. B. M. : Barcaldine, Argyleshire. Di- 

 nish, Turk Mt., Muckruss, Cromaglown and Uunkerron, Killaruey, co. 

 Kerry. 



27. B2EOMYCES Pers. Ust. Ann. 1794, p. 19 ; Nyl. Syn. i. 

 p. 175. Thallus crustaceous, granuloso-pulverulent or squamose. 

 Apothecia sessile or stipitate, opaque, biatorine, the stipes formed 

 of the constricted extended hypothecium and of longitudinal fila- 

 mentose elements ; hypothecium pale ; spores usually 8nse (in 

 elongate-cylindrical thecse), ellipsoid or fusiform, simple or septate, 

 colourless ; paraphyses slender, not very discrete ; hymenial gelatine 

 either not tinged, or pale bluish with iodine. Spermogones tuber- 

 cular, with jointed sterigmata and straight, cylindrical spermatia. 



Although the apothecia are more or lets stipitate, this genus, were it 

 not for the spermogones, might be included amongst the Lecideei. No 

 doubt the spermogones equally differ from those of this series, so that 



