114 



Mycologia 



structure. The two important considerations lie in the exact 

 cross-sectional structure, not alone form, of the thalline branches, 

 and the position and form of the apothecia. His first (1859) 

 description gives us no account of the former, but calls the latter 

 terminal, appendiculate, margins toothed fimbriate. In 1872 he 

 adds nothing except an account of the spermogones and sper- 

 matia. In 1882 he calls the branches " compressed terete"; the 

 apothecia " subterminal . . . appendiculate," the margins dis- 

 appearing. 



Nylander's first (1887) description of the actual plant was of 

 the Eckf eldt specimen whose branches he termed subcompressed ; 

 the apothecia he called terminal. 



Dr. Eckfeldt himself in 1891 calls the branches "at first com- 

 pressed . . . becoming terete " ; the apothecia " terminal and sub- 

 terminal," " margins uneven, dentate or disappearing." 



Stizenberger in 1892 quotes in litt. from Nylander " Thallus 

 lamina tenui submicroscopio iodio rubens," 1. c. 126. 



Dr. Herre's descriptions seem composite in the present light 

 (Proc. Wash. Acad Sci. 1. c). 



Lastly, Mr. Merrill first states that " compressed-terete " is 

 scarcely applicable, and later inconsistently terms his Foster 

 material " terete-compressed " ; in summing up, he later calls the 

 branches " cylindrical, radial in structure." The apothecia he 

 first calls "typically lateral 1 ' and "appendiculate when only one 

 occurs on a stem, or the uppermost when more than one is 

 f ound," later he finds them simply " lateral with a commonly 

 entire and smooth margin." 



I believe that any one examining material of this plant or No. 

 82 -of Mr. Merrill's " Lichenes Exsiccati " will find the following 

 characteristics true. They will agree with Tuckerman and Ny- 

 lander that the branches are " compressed-terete," though sulcate 

 (= " subcanaliculato," " subfistulous," Tuck.) ; the apothecia, ter- 

 minal and subterminal, appendiculate, disk convex, becoming 

 recurved, emarginate, periphery entire, toothed or at length lacer- 

 ate, — these latter varying conditions due directly to extent of 

 growth. The medulla is densely stupose. 



In the National herbarium are the plants here figured in plate 

 41, which are confirmative of Dr. Farlow's findings in the Tucker- 



