Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/221

Campbell's Islands.] exeipulo thallode crassiusculo ; margine integerrirno, primum inflexo ; sporis 4-8 in quoque asco, oblongis, utrinque obtusis, linea transversa medio notatis.

Mr. Chuxchill Babington has pointed out to us the affinity of this species with the R.pusdla, Prev. (Fries, Lieh. Eur. p. 29), a native of the Isles Hyeres in the Mediterranean Sea. Of this plant we possess no specimens, and from the description the only points of difference seem to lie in the greater size of the present, which has the apothecia more separated from the thallus and are plane instead of concave. It is also a native of Tasmania.

The R. geniculate, nob. (in Loud. Jouni. of Bot.), is allied to the present species in its fistulose thallus, but is much smaller and very differently branched. A third congener, or perhaps the true R. pusilla, is a native of Tasmania. The other species inhabiting the southern regions, are R. ovata, verrucosa, and terebrata, all allied to, and perhaps varieties of, R. seopulorum itself, in many cases almost undistinguishable from R.fraxinea and fa-stigiata. Plate LXXIX. Fig. 1, a specimen of the natural size; 2, an older state of the same ; 3, portion of ramulus and apothecium; 4, section of apotheeiuni ; 5, portion of lamina proligera; 6, ascus; 7, spores: — more or less magnified.

3. SPH.EROPHOEON, Ach.

1. Sph.erophorok tenerum, Laurer, in Linnaa, vol. ii. p. 45. t. 1. f. 4. S. australe, noils, in Hook. Loud. Joi/rn. of Bot. vol. iii. p. 654.

Var. /3, curium ; S. curtum, nobis, in Lond. Joum. of Bot. vol. iii. p. 654.

Hab. Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island ; on the ground in turfy places ; /S, in more elevated situations.

Laurer's description of this species is very characteristic, though drawn up from a small state of the plant, the apothecia not being always small, but sometimes even a line in diameter, they terminate in nearly erect, stout, solid, naked, terete branches, are hemispherical, broader than the branch winch bears them ; in the adult state margined only with the remains of a thallodal border, which afterwards falls away entirely. This is the decisive mark between all forms of S. tenerum and S. corallinum, for the colour varies from a rich brown to white and pink. It is an abundant Australian and Fuegian species.

2. Sph^erophoron australe, Laurer, in Linnaa, vol. ii. p. 44. S. insigne, Laurer, 1. c.

Hab. Lord Auckland's group.

I am indebted to Mr. Churchill Babington for an authentic specimen of this beautiful species. In the normal state it differs widely from S. compression, the whole frond being plane, branched in a palmate manner, repeatedly and dichotomously divided, with all the divisions divaricating and spread out like a fan, slightly convex above, there smooth but hardly shining, pale olive-green or yellowish; underneath, it is plane or slightly convex, more rugose and white; the ramuli of the oldest states are often transversely cracked or articulate ; others again, and especially the Tasmanian specimens, are membranaceous and buff-coloured, wholly unlike any other aspect hitherto observed in the genus. In alpine specimens, growing with Leptostomum inclination, which bear fruit abundantly, the apothecia are large, covered with a thin, buff-coloured membrane, fixed wholly to the underside of the frond, which appears prostrate and branched beyond it. From Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island we have several varieties of this plant; 1. The thallus quite plane, repeatedly dichotomously branched, grey above, white beneath, powdered with minute black soredia (or abortive apothecia), the apothecia rare, small, nearly terminal on the under surface of the frond. 2. Thallus short, pale yellow, densely tufted, with the ultimate branches broader and truncate ; always barren. 3. Thallus short, less divided especially below, white, pale greenish-yellow or pink; ultimate branches very short, thin, their apices everywhere tipped with abortive apothecia. 4. Branches few, broader, stouter; apothecia large. This is the ordinary fruiting state of the plant in these islands, and some specimens cannot be distin-