Howe: American Species of Alectoria 137 



17, Dec. No. Amer. Lich. No. 54) ; Columbia Falls, R. S. Williams, 

 May 8, 1897 ( l86 9 H ) J Missoula, M. J. Elrod, 1899 (1870 H) ; 

 Stanton mt., 1,800 m., F. K. Kreeland, Aug. 30, 1908 (NY) ; Co- 

 lumbia Falls, R. S. Williams, May 31, 1895 (NH) ; Missoula, M. 

 J. Elrod, 1899 (3176 F) ; Hayden creek, M. J. Elrod (4947 F) ; 

 Warm springs, L. H. Pommel, 1904 (4667 F). British Colum- 

 bia: Deer Park, /. Macoun, June 3, 1890 (NH) ; Selkirk mts., 

 4,300 ft., H. Petersen, June 29, 1904 (NH) ; Glacier, Fairview 

 mt., 4,000 ft., B. Fink (5900 F, 612 SMC) ; Sotewert's lake, June 

 20, 1875 (CGS) ; Lower Arrow Lake, Macoun, June 3, 1890 

 (CGS) ; Lecamous, Macoun, July 7, 1889 (CGS). Alberta: 

 Canadian Rocky mts., G. Martin, Aug., 1909 (1806 H). British 

 North America: Drummond (TH). ?Maine: Square lake, 

 G. K. Merrill, Feb, 1884 (ANS). 



Sect. II.: Eualectoria Th. Fr. Lich. Scand. 19. 1871. 

 Asci containing 4 (rarely 2) brown spores. Thallus light. 

 Medulla arachnoid or absent. 



Alectoria nigricans (Ach.) Nyl. Lich. Scand. 71. 1861 



Cornicularia ochroleuca nigricans Ach. 1. c. 



Type : Not indicated, but the specimen on which the species was 

 based is in the Acharian herbarium at Helsingfors, fide Elfving. 



Type locality : " in alpibus borealis Sueciae." 



Original description : "thallo scabriusculo sordide fuscescente 

 vel nigricante ad basin palidiori ramis ramulisque implexis nigris." 

 Ach. Lich Univ. 615. 1810. 



Figure: Nyl. Synop. pi. 8. f. 17. 1858-60. 



Diagnosis : Thallus smaller and more slender than in ochro- 

 leuca, branches attenuate, chestnut, apices purplish-black. 



Description: Thallus erect, Cladoniform, rigid, rarely foveo- 

 late, branches slender, subterete, proximal portions chestnut, 

 apices livid to blackening ; cortex glabrous to dull, rarely papillate 

 or striate; primary branches dichotomous, fruticulose, (max. 

 length 10 cm.); secondary branches dichotomous; fibrils entan- 

 gled, frutescent, furcate, attenuate. Apothecia as in following 

 species (max. diam. 3 mm.). Spores (often 2 nae.) 21-35 X 

 15-20/*. 



Substrata: On rocks, humus, mosses, rarely (?) on trees. 

 Geographical distribution : Confined to the Boreal zone. It 



