312 POPULAR HISTORY OP LICHENS. 



spored, thick -walled. Paraphyses thickened and coalescing at 

 apex. Spores ovate-oblong, or elliptic and obtuse at ends, or 

 lanceolate, of a sooty-brown colour, bilocular, rarely simple ; lo- 

 culi unequal. Spermogones unknown. Pycnides utriform, im- 

 mersed, simple, formed of a membrane at first pale and thickish, 

 and having a black ostiole. Sterigmata very short or almost ab- 

 sent. Stylospores obovate and simple. (Name from a/3p6s, thin 

 or delicate ; an inappropriate designation, seeing that the genus 

 is atJialline. Tulasne suggests the word Phymatopsis as a pre- 

 ferable generic term ; from </>£/xa, a tuber, and ctyis, like.) 



This interesting genus is parasitic on various foliaceous 

 Parmelias, Stictas, and Cetrarias. The pycnides in struc- 

 ture closely resemble the conceptacles in which are gene- 

 rated the stylospores of the Kypoxyla (Fungi). 



1. Abrothallus Smithii (named in honour of Sir J. E. 

 Smith, the distinguished author of the e English Flora'). 

 Apothecia pulviniforrn, prominent, black, sparingly green- 

 ish-pulverulent, or smooth. Spores bilocular, obovate, ob- 

 tuse at ends, blackish or brownish ; loculi somewhat unequal 

 in size. Pycnides few or abundant, sometimes more nu- 

 merous than the apothecia, punctiform, black, immersed, 

 with a simple cavity ; at first closed, afterwards having, ac- 

 cording to age, a minute or gaping ostiole with a somewhat 

 prominent margin. Sterigmata thick, very short, sometimes 



