14 



Sticta anthraspis 



A northern lichen perhaps not found in the New York area. 

 The upper surface is pitted much like 6'. pulmonaria, but the 

 branches are as much as 4 cm. across, and but slightly lobed. The 

 under surface is clothed all over with a longer brown nap often 

 1 mm. deep, and speckled with whitish dots 0.5 mm. or less in 

 diameter, and mounted level with the surface of the nap. The algal 

 cells are Nostoc. 



Sticta sylvatica. Woodland Leather Lichen 



A northern lichen found on trees or rocks as far south as the 

 Catskills, and perhaps also in New Jersey. Usually 3 cm. across 

 or smaller, it may sometimes spread as much as 10 cm. The upper 

 surface is only slightly pitted, leather-brown, olive when moist. 

 There may be minute, gray granules scattered over it. The under 

 surface is covered with a downy nap, buff near the margins to 

 almost black toward the center. It is speckled over with whitish, 

 smooth, cup-like depressions mostly less than 0.5 mm. in diameter. 

 The algal cells are Nostoc. 



Fruits rare, usually near the margin, up to 2 mm. across, fiat 

 or swollen, reddish brown. Spores with 2 or 4 cells, colorless, 

 25 to 46 by 7 to 9 microns. 



Sticta sylvatica is hardly distinguishable from 6". quercizans 

 and 5". fuliginosa, which are separate species in a historical sense, 

 with distinctions about which famous lichenists have disagreed. 

 5". sylvatica is of thinner texture, almost like 6^. herhacea. S. quer- 

 cizans, thick and leathery, divides into rather narrow branches 

 and lobes, with crisped margins covered with granules and coral- 

 like growths. S. fuliginosa has the granules black or blackish, 

 passing into an incrustation, is thick in texture, like 5". quercizans, 

 but broad-lobed like S. sylvatica. These are minor variations, and 

 the group would be easier to comprehend if they were ignored. 

 But the names date back more than a century, making it difficult 

 now to select one and include the others under it. Taken together, 

 the three species are easily distinguished from all other lichens 

 by the combination of two characters — leather brown upper sur- 

 face, and downy, speckled, veinless under. 



