THE STORY OF THE LICHENS 117 



tion must be limited to some of the most strik- 

 ing kinds. In a general way the lichens may 

 be roughly classed into three groups, according 

 to their habits of growth. In the first place 

 there are those which are of a shrubby habit 

 and grow with distinct upright or drooping 

 branches. The most numerous of these are to 

 be found in the genus Cladonia ; many of these 

 are familiar to most people on account of their 

 pretty cup-like fructifications. One of the most 

 beautiful is quite common in moorland dis- 

 tricts, and has been called Cladonia cornuco- 

 fioides, and is always recognisable from the 

 bright red tubercles which grow from the upper 

 portion of the stem. These look very much 

 like spots of red sealing-wax, and, on examina- 

 tion, are shown to be the parts of the fungus 

 element in the lichen in which the spores are 

 produced. The common Cup Moss [Cladonia 

 pyxidata) is a charming species with fructifi- 

 cations fashioned on the lines of dainty cups. 

 A species of Cladonia, without definite cups, 

 which will almost certainly be found, is 

 C. gracilis. Very frequently the little stalks in 

 this species end in a point, when they are not 

 adorned with the small brownish fruit bodies. 



