LECANORA. | LECANO-LECIDEEI. 437 
124. L. metaboloides Nyl. Flora, 1872, p. 250.—Thallus effuse, 
subgranulose, thin, whitish, often evanescent (K-+yellow, CaCl—). - 
Apothecia small, biatoroid, at first plane and thinly margined, then 
convex, immarginate, pale, livid-brown or blackish, naked or 
slightly pruinose; spores oblongo-ellipsoid, 0,007-11 mm. long, 
0,0035 mm. thick; hymenial gelatine persistently bluish - with 
iodine.—Cromb. Journ. Bot. 1882, p. 274. To this, fide Nyl. 
Flora, 1881, p. 184, is referable Biatora sarcopisioides Mass. Rich. 
Lich. (1852) p. 128; Lecidea minuta var. sarcopisioides Cromb. 
Lich. Brit. p. 69; Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 266, ed. 3, p. 264. This, 
however, is a mere state of Nylander’s plant, whose name has a 
wider and more definite signification.—Brit. Evs.: Cromb. n. 162: 
pro parte. 
Looks quite a Biatora, but the spermogones show its true relation. 
It is a somewhat variable plant both as to thallus and apothecia, though 
the differences in these 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 obscurior Cromb. 
Grevillea, xviii. p. 69). It spreads very extensively over the substratum, 
and is always abundantly fertile. 
Hab. On old pales, decorticated stumps of trees, rarely on stems of 
gorse, in maritime and upland wooded tracts.—Distr. Sparingly in 8.W. 
and N. England; abundant among the 8. and Central Grampians, Scot- 
Jand.—B. M.: Shanklin, Isle of Wight ; New Forest, Hampshire; 
Stiperstones, Shropshire; Cleveland, Yorkshire; Ennerdale, Cumber- 
land. Achmore, Glen Lochay and Finlarig, Killin; Glen Fender, Blair 
Athole, Perthshire. 
125. L. polytropa Schaer, Enum. (1850) p. 81 pro parte; Nyl. 
Flora, 1872, p. 251.—Thallus subdeterminate or effuse, granu- 
lato- or rimoso-areolate, or subsquamulose, pale suiphur-coloured 
or yellowish-green, often subevanescent (K+ yellowish, CaCl—); 
hypothallus, when present, thin, black. Apothecia smal! or 
moderate, adnate, usually biatorine, at first plane with thin, 
entire, subflexuose margin, at length convex, with the margin 
excluded, yellowish-flesh-coloured or pale-testaceous ; spores ellip- 
soid, 0,010-13 mm. long, 0,005-6 mm. thick; paraphyses slender 
or not well discrete; hymenial gelatine bluish, then sordid- 
violet with iodine——Cromb. Grevillea, xviii. p. 693 Mudd, Man. 
p- 151; Leight. Lich. Fl. p. 197, ed. 3, p. 180.—Lecanora varia 
var. polytropa Cromb. Lich. Brit. p. 52. Lecidea polytropa Gray, 
Nat. Arr. i. p. 475; Sm. Eng. Fl. v. p. 185. Lecidea Ehrhartiana 
B. polytropa Hook. Fl, Scot. ii. p. 40. Lichen polytropus Ehrh. 
Crypt. (1793) n. 294; Dicks. Crypt. fasc. iv. p. 2%; Eng. Bot, 
t. 1264 (two lower figs.).— Brit. Has.: 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- 
tacters it presents. At the same time it is a very variable species both as 
to the thallus and apothecia. The thallus, which frequently spreads 
extensively, varies in thickness and at times is scarcely, if at all, visible, 
whence var. acrustacea Schaer, Mudd, Man, p. 151; Leight. Exe. cit. A 
