94 
RKPORT ON THK LICHENS OF EPPING FOREST. 
Lecanoras vitellina, murorum, and galactina, and Verrucaria 
nigres cens. 
Tombstones in old churchyards present a quite characteristic 
assemblage of lichens, including Physcia pulverulenta sub-sp. 
pityrea, P. stellaris sub-sp. tenella, P. parietina, form congranulata, 
Lecanova murorum, L. subfusca, var. campestris, and Buellia 
canescens. 
Old leather will afford a rest-place for various lichens if 
sufficiently soddened ; we have noted Cladonia fimbriata, var. 
tubceformis and Lecidea granulosa growing on an old boot in the 
Forest : and we have even seen tiny fruiting individuals of 
Cladonia macilenta and C. fimbriata, var. tubceformis growing on 
the dry dung of rabbits. 
ASPECT. 
All lichens love the light, but there is a considerable difference 
in the intensity of the light which various species prefer. The 
yellow-coloured forms appear to revel in full sunlight,the flaves- 
cent Physcias and Placodia being striking instances. Thus, 
Physcia parietina, form congranulata , prefers the south faces 
of walls, where the surface of the stone or brick becomes un¬ 
bearably hot to the touch in the full glare of the summer sun ; 
and the form cinerascens of the same species occurs chiefly on 
the south side of beech trunks in the Forest. Lecanora mur¬ 
orum is more frequent on sunny walls and tombstones, and 
L. vitellina affects the south faces of walls. In contrast with 
these, the green-hued Parmelias are very frequently found in 
the Forest on the north and west sides of tree-trunks. 
FRUITING SEASON. 
There would seem to be few records as to the season of the 
year when lichens are accustomed to produce their apothecia 
in this country. Our own fragmentary notes in this connection 
must be regarded as merely tentative,pending the accumulation 
of further observations, but so far as they go, they undoubtedly 
tend to show that the fruiting period for these plants is the 
winter months, extending from the beginning of November 
to the end of April. Thus, taking Bceomyces rufus as a type of 
many others, we have noted it with small apothecia on September 
9th and 19th, with well-formed apothecia on November 26th, 
