- 87 - 
abortiva, and f. e. rupta respectively of his U. vellea hirsuta. From the 
descriptions of Nos. 137 and 139 (Eu. 1. c.) both can be easily placed with U. 
spadochroa on their macroscopic characters, the other two are doubtful how- 
ever. 
Reviewing what has been written, it will be perceived that each author 
prior to Nylander’s Synonymy, in dealing with U. vellea and its ally, 
became a law unto himself with respect to their specific limits. It is ques- 
tionable if Nylander himself constituted his diagnosis of U. spadochroa on a 
clear knowledge of the early herbarium examples, although no man had 
ampler opportunities to acquire information. It is conceivable that U. spa- 
dochroa as considered in Synopsis is a purely arbitary creation, based on the 
observation that large spores are concomitant with papillate apothecia. If 
this were an established fact, with no ascertainable record of deviation, a 
fairly good warrant for specific rank would ensue. The writer has found, 
however, through examination of an extended series of American ash-colored 
Umbilicariae that specimens are not uncommonly met with, provided with 
distinctly papillate apothecia which do not yield large spores! In fact the 
measurements accord with those of U. vellea. As the specimens are black 
and very hirsute below and bear every other characteristic of the species 
they may with assurance be referred to U. vellea. 
In the final analysis it is seen that all the characters of U. spadochroa 
except its large spores may be shared by U. vellea. On this distinction 
alone it is believed that the form scarcely deserves specific rank, and should 
be reduced to a variety or modification of the older U. vellea. No. 198 
Decades of N. Am. Lichens, issued as U. spadochroa Hoffm., in our copy 
affords small spores only, and being unprovided with papillate apothecia 
should be considered as representative of U. vellea. Prof. John Macoun 
collecting in 1905, on the St. Lawrence below Quebec, found an Umbilicaria 
sp. which in the specimen submitted to the writer, offers characteristics at 
once suggestive of U. Dillenii Tuckerm., on the one hand, and U. vellea 
on the other. The plant is brownish at the circumference as in U. Dillenii , 
whitish-pruinose at the center as in U. vellea , and like the latter hirsute 
below. The apothecia and spores are those of U. Dillenii, but the upper 
surface is rimulose-areolate as in U. vellea. Prof. Macoun suggests that the 
form be given a varietal name, but it is hardly thought desirable to do so at 
present. Rockland, Maine. 
SULLIVANT MOSS CHAPTER NOTES. 
If any members of the Sullivant Moss Chapter have collected the 
lichen, Solorina saccata, I shall be very glad to hear from them and to ex- 
change specimens with them. I should also be glad to hear from any one 
who has specimens of Solorina saccata in his herbarium, giving me the local- 
ity where they were collected. 
Address, Mrs. Caroline W. Harris, 
125 St. Marks Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. 
