90 



THE LICHEN FLORA OF QUEENSLAND, 



Tribe II. — Sphrerophorei, Nyl. 



Thallus fruticulose, ramose or rauiulosc, the apices sub- 

 globoso-incrassate enclosing the apothecia ; apotliecia nuclei - 

 form, enclosed, ultimately exposed by the dehiscence of the 

 thalline covering ; sporal mass black. Leight Lich. Fl. 

 p. 49. 



I. — Sph.krophoron, Nyl. 



Thallus branched, tufted, shrubby, fragile, cybndric, com- 

 pressed, flattened or more or less scale-like ; branchlets 

 dilated at the tips. Apothecia near the tips of the fronds, 

 terminal or on the under surface. Excipulum formed in the 

 dilated extremity of thalline ramules, closed, at length 

 irregularly lacerate-dehisccnt, resembling black pigment 

 layer. Asci and paraphyses seated on a central columella. 

 Thalamium sub-globose, cleaving or separating with the 

 thecse. Spores black or dark-violet, spherical, form often 

 masked by the rough epispore. Spermatia oblong. 



8. compressnm, Ach. (K — ) 



Thallus grey-glaucous, of flattened stems dichotoniomdy 



K uranched with stick-like or digitate extremities of a pale 

 grey-green ; at times coral-like, compressed, irregularly 

 branched, fibrillose, blackish at the base, white below. 

 Apothecia at the end of the finger-shaped extremities, large, 

 obliquely placed ; receptacle lacerate- dehiscent or discoid or 

 open. Spores nigricant, round, '005 m.m. in diameter. 

 Spermagonia occur in the terminations of the ramules as 

 small, black, superficial perithecia, pierced by a minute pore; 

 spermatia linear, of great tenuity, straight, and very 

 numerous. 



Syn.- S. australe, Laur. Fl. N.Z. 



JJab, — On the ground and on the trunks of trees, Mount 

 Mistake. 



Series IT. — Cladodei, Nyl. 



Thallus usually erect. Apothecia terminal, on erect podetia, 

 usually without a border. Spores 8, commonly in an ascus, 

 colourless, oblong, rarely elongate and septate ; p.-irnphyses 

 distinct. 



