CRIBRARIALES 199 



This is almost the only taxonomic suggestion ; — a mere sugges- 

 tion; this microscopic bit of anxious life is but a shadow, — a shade, 

 a shadow of a lamproderma! 



Order III 



CRIBRARIALES 



Fructification plasmodiocarpous or aethalioid, or consisting of dis- 

 tinct sporangia; peridia membranaceous at maturity, more or less 

 evanescent, opening irregularly or by means of a delicate network, 

 which involves at least the upper part of the sporangium ; capillitium 

 usually none; spores of some shade of brown, umbrine, rarely 

 purplish. 



This order is distinguished — except in a single case — by the 

 entire absence of true capillitium, the pallid or brown spores, the 

 gradual evolution of distinct sporangia in which provision for spore- 

 dispersal is made by peridial modification especially at the sporangium- 

 top. 



Key to the Families of the Cribrariales 



A. Fructification plasmodiocarpous scattered as if made up of the segments 



of the plasmodial net Liceac^ 



B. Fructification of distinct and separate sporangia, long stipitate, opening 



by a delicate operculum at the top . . . OrcadellacEjE 



C. Fructification aethalioid, the sporangia generally more or less tubular, 



often prismatic by mutual pressure; opening by rupture of the apex, 

 the lateral walls entire TuBiFERACEiE 



D. Fructification aethalioid, the sporangia ill defined, their walls more or 



less perforate, frayed, or dissipated, forming a pseudo-capillitium, 



RETICULARIACEiE 



E. Fructification of distinct and separate sporangia, the walls more or less 



reticulately perforate especially above . . . CRiBRARiACEiE 



A. LICEACE.E 

 A single genus, — 



1. Licea (Schrader) Rost. 



1797. Licea Schrader, Nov. Gen. Plant., p. 16, in part. 

 1875. Licea (Schrader) Rost., Mon., p. 218. 



Sporangia plasmodiocarpous, looped, irregular, or distinct, sessile, 



