Howe: American Species of Alectoria 



135 



Type locality: "in montibus Californiae." " ' Camp of Dec. 

 5, 6, 1854' (Sierra Nevada), 'California, abundant on Pines/ 

 Col. Fremont (com. Torrey!). Hangs from the lower branches 

 of all the coniferous trees of Northern California, and Southern 

 Oregon." 



Original description : " thallo filamentoso pendulo ramosis- 

 simo implexo tereti-compresso laevigato fusco-nigrescente, ramis 

 inferioribus hie illic incrassatis lacunoso-excavatis flexuosis tor- 

 tuosisque, superioribus apice tenuissimis, ultimis simplicibus ; apo- 

 theciis innato-sessilibus ex urceolata denum planis margine tenu- 

 issimo evanido discum viridi-flavo-pruinosum cingenti," Proc. 

 Amer, Acad. Arts & Sci. 25: 422. 1858. 



Diagnosis : Thallus pendulous, reddish brown to black, 

 branches compressed, sulciform and foveolate, tortulous. Apo- 

 thecia and soralia sulphureous. 



Description : Thallus pendulous, filamentous, pliant, subterete, 

 or compressed, tortulous, reddish-brown to black, rarely pale; 

 cortex glabrous or dull, sulciform and foveolate, occasionally 

 with greenish or sulphurous soralia ; primary branches com- 

 pressed, remotely dichotomous (max. length 45 cm.) ; secondary 

 branches dichotomous, slender, subterete; fibrils terete, capil- 

 laceous. Apothecia not uncommon, small (max. diam. 4 mm.), 

 convex, innate, margin disappearing, disk pruinose, sulphureous. 

 Spores 4-8 X 4~5f^- 



Contingent phases: (a) Partially cinereous or pale-brown. 



Substrata: Coniferous trees, occasionally on deciduous 

 growths. 



Geographical distribution : Confined to the Transition and 

 Boreal zones on the Pacific coast, extending from southern Cali- 

 fornia (2,000 ft.) to southern Alaska (Cummings) , east to Idaho, 

 Wyoming, Montana and Alberta. In the Academy of Natural 

 Sciences at Philadelphia is a specimen labelled from Maine, sent 

 Dr. J. W. Eckfeldt by Mr. G. K. Merrill. It seems quite evident 

 that in some way this specimen has become mislabelled. 



Observations : This species, no doubt a close relative of 

 jubata, is, as has already been said, the most luxuriant Bryopogon 

 of the Alectorias within our area. Its foveolate thallus and capil- 

 laceous extremities suggest strikingly Usnea cavernosa Tuck. 

 Many of the plants attributed to jubata in reality belong here, and 

 are placed elsewhere because they are sterile, and lack therefore 



