PART I. 



THE HISTORY, GENERAL MORPHOLOGY AND 

 PHYSIOLOGY OF LICHENS. 



CHAPTER I. 



THE HISTORY OF LICHENOLOGY. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The lichens were more generally neglected by the early botanists 

 than any other group of plants. The causes for this are not far to 

 seek. These plants possess no qualities to make them conspicuous ; 

 they are not, as a rule, striking in color, size or form, nor do they pos- 

 sess very marked useful or harmful properties. Until the advent of 

 scientific botany, herbalists devoted their attention chiefly to the 

 higher plants, which were endowed with real or imaginary medicinal 

 properties, or which served some other use in the household. 



Later, when lichens began to receive some attention from the lead- 

 ing botanical systematists, they were for a long time subject to great 

 abuse because of careless study. They were taken up as a side 

 study for the information of the few who took a momentary interest in 

 them. Some of the most fantastic and varied opinions were held 

 with regard to their origin, nature and position in the vegetable king- 

 dom. For these reasons and others, which will become apparent 

 later, it was thought not only interesting but highly important that 

 the student of lichenology should have an insight into the changes 

 which this special science has undergone. It is hoped that the stu- 

 dent may better realize therefrom how much work must yet be accom- 

 plished before our knowledge in regard to these plants can attain 

 any degree of perfection. 



The historical review here presented is, in the main, a condensed 

 retrospect of Krempelhuber's Geschichte der Lichenologie. The 

 limitations of the first four periods correspond to those of Krempel- 

 huber ; the others are materially changed, and the review has been 



