142 



POPULAR HISTORY OF LICHENS. 



arabic in calico-printing and in the making of parchment 

 and pasteboard ; in a pulverized form they have been used 

 as the basis of hair-powders. Some forms, especially the 

 mealy Ramalina, R. farinacea, have been recommended as 

 edible, and as palatable when eaten with salt. The same 

 species has been recently lauded as a topical application for 

 chilblains and chapped hands; but its virtues probably 

 depend more on the presence of spirit of wine or harts- 

 horn in the lotion for the former, and of honey, yolk of egg, 

 brandy, and sweet oil in that for the latter troublesome af- 

 fection."* 



4. Ramalina scopulorum (scqpulus, a rock or cliff). 

 Thallus rigid, polished, smoothish or striate-lacunose, linear- 

 laciniate or terete, very seldom sorediiferous, often attaining 

 a great size ; apothecia large, terminal and lateral. (E. B. 

 688.) 



This is a coarse, rigid, deformed variety, peculiar to, and 

 common on, the rocks of our sea-coasts ; it frequently forms 

 a shaggy coating on the cliffs of many of our rugged shores 

 and islands, where it sometimes reaches the length of six 



* Speersclmeider, Mikroskopisch-anatomische Untersuchung iiber Rama- 

 lina calicaris y Fr., und deren Varietaten frazinea,fastigiata, canaliculata und 

 farinacea, ' Botanische Zeitung/ May 18, 1855. 



