LECAN0K4.J LECANO-LKCIUEi:i. 437 



124. L. metaboloides Xyl. Flora, 1872, p. 250.— Thallus effuse, 

 subgranulose, thin, whitish, often evanescent (K + yellow, CaCl — ). 

 Apothccia small, biatoroid, at first plane and thinly margined, then 

 convex, imniarginate, pale, livid-brown or blackish, naked or 

 slightly pruinose ; spores oblougo-ellipsoid, 0,0u7-ll mm. long, 

 (,),UU;ir> mm. thick ; hymenial gelatine persistently bluish with 

 iodine. — Cromb. Journ. Bot. 1882, p. 274. To this, fide Xyl. 

 Flora, 1881, p. 184, is referable Biatorn sarcopisioidcs Mahs. Rich. 

 Lich. (1852) p. 128; Lecidea viinuia var. sarcopisioides Cromb. 

 Lich. Brit. p. 00 ; Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 20(3, ed. 3, p. 204. Tbis, 

 however, is a mere state of Xylander's plant, whose name has a 

 wider and more definite signification. — Brit. E.vs. : Cromb. n. 162 

 pro parte. 



Looks quite a Biatora, but the spermogouea show its true relation. 

 It is a somewhat variable plant both as to thallus and apothecia, though 

 the difi'erences in tliese merely indicate states resulting from habitat. The 

 thallus is seldom well developed, and usually is entirely obsolete. At 

 times it is dark-greyish with blackish apothecia (form ohscurior Cromb. 

 Grevillea, xviii. p. 69). It spreads very extensively over the substratum, 

 aud is always abundantly fertile. 



Hah. On old pales, decorticated stumps of trees, rarely on stems of 

 gorse, in maritime and upland wooded tracts. — Distr. Sparingly in S.W. 

 and N. England: abundant among the S. and Central Grampians, Scot- 

 land. — B. M. : Shauklin, Isle of ^Vight ; New Forest, Hampshire; 

 Stiperstones, Shropshire ; CIca eland, Yorkshire ; Ennerdale, Cumber- 

 land. Achmore, Glen Lochay and Finlarig, Killin : Glen Fender, Blair 

 Athole, Perthshire. 



125. L. polytropa Schacr, Enum. (1850) p. 81 pro parte; XyL 

 Flora, 1-872, p. 251. — Thallus subdeteiTuinate or efi'nse, granu- 

 lato- or rimoso-areolate, or subsquamulose, pale sulphur-coloured 

 or yellowish-green, often subevauescent (K-|- yellowish, CaCl — ); 

 hypothallus, when present, thin, black. Apothecia small or 

 moderate, adnate, usually biatorine, at first plane with thin, 

 entire, subflexuose margin, at length convex, with the margin 

 excluded, yellowish-fiesh-coloured or pale-testaceous ; spores ellip- 

 soid, 0,010-13 mm. long, 0,005-6 mm. thick ; paraphyscs slender 

 or not well discrete ; hymenial gelatine bluish, then sordid- 

 violet with iodine. — Cromb. Grevillea, xviii. p. 69 5 Mudd, Man. 

 p. 151 ; Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 197, ed. 3, p. 180. — Lecanora varia 

 var. poJi/tro/ia Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 52. Lecidea poli/ij-ojia dray, 

 Kat, Arr. i. p. 475 ; Sm. Eng. Fl. v. p. 185. Lecidea Ehrhartiana 

 /). pohjtroi^a Hook. Fl. Scot. ii. p. 40. Lichen polytropus Ehrh. 

 Crypt. (1793) n. 294; Dicks. Crypt, fasc. iv. p. 22; Eng. Bot. 

 t. 1264 (two lower figs.). — Brit. Exs>: Leight. n. 179 (atypical). 



Often regarded as only a saxicolous variety of L. varia, this has now 

 been definitely separated by Nylander on account of the different cha- 

 racters it present^. At the same time it is a very variable species both aa 

 to the thallus aud apothecia. The thallus, which ti-equeutly spreads 

 extensively, varies in thickness and at times is scarcely, if at all, visible, 

 whence var. acrustacea Schaer, Mudd, Mau. p. 1.51 ; Leight. Exs. cit. A 



