LECANOK.V.] LECANO-LUCIDEEI. 391 



polari-l)ilocular, 0,011-15 mm. loiijif, 0,000-8 ram. thick. — Cromb. 

 Grovillea, xviii. p. 4(3. — Plncoilinm cluilijlxi'am Mudd, Man. p. I.'i4 ; 

 Cromb. Lich. Jirit. p. 4(5 ; Leif^ht. Lich. Fl. p. 170, cd. 3, p. 105. 

 I'aniicUa vludijhcm Duf. in Fr. Lich. Eur. (1831) p. 125. — Bril. Exs.: 

 Cromb. n. 50. 



Easily recognized bv tlie colour of the thallus, wliich is somewhat 

 tbickisli, small or considerably expanded, occasionally S(jmewliat lobed or 

 lobato-creiiate at the circumference. The apothecia are numerDUs and 

 crowded, becomiu^j^, when moistened, turyid, somewhat prcjmiuent, and 

 livid-brown. 



Ilab. On calcareous rocks in maritime and mountainous districts. — 

 Distr. hocal in 8.\V. and N. England, N. Wales, and the Central Gram- 

 pians, Scotland. — B. ]\J. : Eabbicombe, Devonshire ; Llanyniyuech Ilill, 

 Shropshire ; Great Ornie's Head, Carnarvonshire ; I'enhill, Yorkshire ; 

 Craig Tulloch, Blair Athole, Perthshire. 



55. L. variabilis Ach. Lich. Univ. (1810) p. 309.— Thallus 

 determinate, adnate, thianish, diffracto-areolate, greyish-brown or 

 lurid-grey (K-|- violet), usually limited by a thin blackish bypo- 

 thallus. Apothecia submoderate, slightly prominent, plane or con- 

 vex, black, subpruinose (K — ) ; the thalline margin entire, usually 

 white-suffused; spores broadly ellipsoid, polari-bilocular, 0,013-16 

 mm. long, 0,007-0,010 mm. thick. — Cromb. Grcvilloa, xviii. p. 46. 

 Placodium variahile Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 179, ed. 3, p. 105. Lichen 

 variuhiJls Pers. in list. Ann. (1794) p. 20. 



Similar to the preceding species, but distinguished by the thinner, 

 darker non-effigurate thallus, the more prominent apothecia, and the 

 rather larger spores. In the British specimens the hypothallus is only 

 sparingly visible. The apothecia, which when moistened are livid-brown, 

 are usually numerous, at times crowded and somewhat angulose. 



Huh. On calcareous rocks in upland hilly situations. — Disfr. Seen only 

 from AV. and Central England, and (Jicic Leight.) N.W. Ireland (Coune- 

 mara, Galway). — B. M. : Bathampton Downs, Somersetshire ; Grove 

 Lane, Cirencester, Gloucestershire ; Cunning Dale, Buxton, Derbyshire ; 

 Llanymynech Ilill, Shropshire. 



Var. /5. ecrustacea NyL e.v Cromb. Grevillea, xviii. (1889) p. 46. 

 — Thallus indistinct. Apothecia small, Iccideoid, subinnate, at 

 length immargiuate ; otherwise as in the type— Placodium variahile 

 var. ecrustacea Kyi. Lich. Scand. (1801) p. 139. P. Agardhianum 

 Hepp (non Ach.), Leight. Lich. Fl. ed. 3, p. 1G5. 



Differs in the absence of a thallus and in the character of the apothecia. 

 But for the form of the spores it might be taken for a Lecidea. 



Sab. On calcareous rocks in maritime and upland districts. — Disfr. In 

 S.W., N.W. England, and S. Wales.— B. M. : Anstey's Cove, Torquay, 

 S. Devon ; Bathampton Downs, Somerset ; Tenby, Pembrokeshire ; 

 Lamplugh, Cumberland. 



