240 Transactions. — Botany. 



Zealand crustaceous lichens. The internal organization resembles exactly that 

 so characteristic of this lichen. 



On banks, Tinakori Hills, Wellington. 



Lecidea fuscolutea, Dicks. 



The chemical reactions are identical, viz., K, thallus yellow ; apothecia 

 crimson. The hypothecium is darker than in specimens from Ben Lawers, 

 Scotland. 



On bark of trees, Tinakori Hills, Wellington, 



Lecidea otagensis? Nyl. 



Thallus greyish white, smooth, thin, and nearly continuous ; apothecia 

 black, sessile, slightly concave, margined, afterwards slightly convex and 

 immarginate, and somewhat rugose ; spores eight, irregularly fusiform, thicker 

 at one end, and shaped like an Italian f; septa varying from two to six ; 

 hypothecium pale ; paraphyses not distinct, their apices black and closely 

 matted together, as in many others of the New Zealand lichens. 



The shape of the spores, as indicated above, is constant throughout several 

 specimens examined, and it is noticeable that the curve at the thicker end is 

 invariably that of a shorter radius vector. 



Until I saw Dr. Lauder Lindsay's paper, in the " Edinburgh Philosophical 

 Transactions," on lichens and fungi of New Zealand, I felt satisfied in 

 identifying this lichen with L. otagensis from Dr. Nylander's description ; 

 but the shape of the spores, as figured by Dr. Lindsay, is quite at variance 

 with what I have seen and described. The whole of a thin section has a dingy 

 aspect, and the hypothecium is not dingier than the rest, perhaps more 

 pellucid. 



On bark of trees everywhere round Wellington. 



Lecidea rivulosa, Ach. 



So far as I know, this is the first notice of this common lichen having been 

 found in New Zealand. It differs in no essential from specimens found in 

 BritaLa. 



Astrothelium 2y')'ostratum, Stirton. 



Thallus well developed, continuous or rimulose, thin, yellowish white, 

 merging into grey or cinereous ; apothecia compound ; receptacle black, large, 

 broad ("02 to "07 in.), shallow, scarcely raised above the general surface ; 

 perithecia entire, irregular in outline, and all apparently opening into one 

 ostiole, which shows on the surface; spores eight, uniserial, colourless at first — 

 when the contents are coarsely granular — becoming brown when mature, with 

 six crossbars, which assume the appearance of oval, coloured cells ; paraphyses 

 plentiful, filiform, simple. 



On bark of trees, Wainuiomata, Wellington. 



