236 



THE LICHEN-FLORA 



more or less branched and entangled, apices colourless ; spores 2, 

 odourless, very large, lineari-oblong or ellipsoid, simple, with a very 

 narrow limb or epiipore. 



On granite rocks, very rare. 1875. 



Stn :— Leight. in Linn. Trans. 2d ser. 1. 241. (1877.) 



Fig :— Linn. Trans. 1. c. t. 33. f. 1. 2 & 3. 



Bot. Prov :— 26. 



Ireland :— Doughruagh Mountain ! Mr. Larbaleslier. (1875.) 



Spores .062 — .067 mm. long. .033 — .035 mm. broad. Gelatina hymenea I 

 violet. 



This beautiful lichen is excessively rare, and apparently quite new to science. 

 It has occurred only once to Air. Larbalestier, whose indefatigable and skilful 

 lichenological researches in the west of Ireland have added so many and such 

 rare novelties to our lichen-flora. In general external aspect it a good deal 

 resembles Lecanora epulotica, Ach., for which it might cursorily be readily 

 mistaken ; but the number, size, and shape of the spores and other characters 

 keep them abundantly apart. It seems allied to Pertusaria rhodoleuca, Th. 

 Fries ; but that species is at once distinguished by its 8 smaller spores. Pertu- 

 saria rhodocarpa of Garovaglio's 'Comment, de Pertusariis Europ. Med.' p. 8, 

 t. iv. f . 4, is like it in the large size and narrowly limbed two spores, but differs 

 in growing on mosses, and having a verrucoso-granulose thallus and coacervate 

 aggregate numerous apothecia. Garovaglio's plant, which he refers doubtfully 

 to P. rhodocarpa, Krbr. (Syst. p. 384), cannot be identical with that German 

 lichen, inasmuch as Th. Fries, who has examined an original specimen from 

 Kbrber, 'in Lieh. Scand.' p. 322, refers Kbrber's lichen to Variceliaria rliodo- 

 carpa, Th. Fr., which has an immense single 1-septate spore, and is represented 

 in Th. Fr. L. Scand. Exs. 73! and has reaction K — , C crimson, and is 

 altogether different in its sorediate thallus. 



H. Tliallus K brownish, C — . 



27. P. fastigiata, (Turn. & Borr.) albido-cinereoiis, tartareous, 

 thick, consisting of erect closely juxta-posed simple columns, their 

 apices fastigiate, forming an areolate surface, areolae convex, rough, 

 papillato-sorediate or pulverulent ; apothecia 2, 3, 4 or 5 ; spores 

 not seen. 



On siliceous rocks, rare. 1813. 



Dr. Taylor Fl. Hib. 2. 114. well describes this lichen his Variolaria polythecia 

 as forming large patches on the rocks, ' ' conspicuous by the crowded and stalked 

 apothecia, placed in contact, like certain basaltic columns." His specimens 

 in the Hook. Herb, at Kew are perfectly identical with the authentic speci- 

 mens of Iridium oculatum, y3 fastigiatum of T. & B. Lich. Brit. 103. in the 

 Borrer Herb. A vertical section shewed sufficient to enable us to regard this a 

 Pertusaria, although the microscope failed to discover the spores. 



Syn : — Iridium, oculatum /} fastigiatum, Turn. & Borr. ! Lich. Brit. 103. 

 (1813.) Variolaria polythecia, Tayl. ! FL Hib. 2. 114. 



Bot. Peov :— 19... 26. 



Ireland : — Connemara. Mr. Mackay. near Bantry ! Miss Hvtchim. Dan- 

 kerron ! Dr. Taylor. Boar's Head Bocks ! Mr. Borrer. 



28, P. sublactea, (Leight.) creamy-yellow, tartareous, thin, 

 undulato-rugose, very slightly rimose ; apothecia scattered, distinct, 

 elevated, depresso- convex, albo-sorediate ; spores unknown. 



On siliceous rocks, rare. 1813. 



This oocurs as a single specimen in Borrer Herb, at Kew, under the name 

 of Variolaria lactea. V. lactea and its var. arenaria, T. & B. ! Lich, Brit. 69. 

 have reaction K — C crimson and are referable as states of P. i-elata, Turn. The 

 present lichen has a totally different reaction K pale-brownish-yellow C — and 

 is no doubt the plant spoken of in the Lich. Brit. p. 72, 



Stn :— Turn. & Borr. Lich. Brit. 72. (1813.) 



