LICHENS AND LICHEN. PARASITES

DODGE-LICHENS AND LICHEN PARASITES 201
is seen to curve through the apothecium and occasionally to emerge and continue for some distance,
forming another apothecium on its tips, so that the first appears sessile on the side of the branch.
While some of these variations appear discontinuous and one may sort the plants into groups
with reference to a single character, none of the characters appears to be associated constantly
with any other.
The relationships of the species are equally puzzling. In spite of the colour and characteristic
blackening of the thallus, which are typically confined to this subgenus, this species seems more
cloeely relateato U. scabrida of the Glabratud in many respects. All of the species of Neuropogon
where spermogoh have been reported have spermatia of the endobasidial type. Here the
spermatia are much longer and more slender, and the spermatiophores are closer to the exobasidial
type common in the Le~anoraceaetlian to those figured by Crombie, Monog. Lich. Brit., 1, 201;
1894 for Usnea fiorida. I have not seen spermogonia of the U. sca.brida group. Since spermogonia
are abundant and apparently functional, it is possible that at least some of the variation encountered
is the result of hybridization with other apotheciiferous species in each region, e.g.
U. Taylori in Kerguelen and U. auramtiaco-atra, etc., in the South American a.rea.
All authors who have considered the question, have stated that this species is distributed both
in Kerguelen and South America from Patagoilia to 55" 24' S. I have seen two specimens from the
latter region, Mt. Aymond, Straits of Magellan, T. Hill (Hassler Exp.), and Patagonia, R. Fosiles,
1,000 m., P. Dus6n 1W6. Both differ somewhat in habit, but I have found no clear differences and
hesitate to express an opinion based on so little material from these regions.
Kerguelen : Port Jeanne d'Arc, about 1,500 ft., B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. B176-2 and upper levels on
rocks, B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. B109-1, B109-2, B109--3, B1094, B109-5, B109-6; Molloy Point, J. H.
Kidder (U.S. Transit of Venus Exp. in Tuckerman Herb. sub U. sulphur~h), Observatory Bay,
B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. B192-54, B192-55, B192-56, B192-57, B192-58, B192-59, B192-60 ; Mt. Wyville
~hpd~son, 1,00&1,500 ft., B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. B246-17, B246-18, B246-19, B246-20, B246-21; Royal
Sound, B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. B203; R. Hall (three collections, Nat. Herb. Melbourne Bot. Gard.) ;
Greenland Harbour, B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. B204-10, B204-11, B204-12, B204-13, B204-14, B204-15,
B204-16, B204-17, B204-18, B20P19, B204-20, B204-21, B204-22, B204-23.
USNEA ANTARCTICA DuRietz.
Usnea antarctica DuRietz, Svensk. Bot. Tidskr., 20, 90, 93 ; 1926.
Neuropogon Taylori Blackman, Rept. Coll. Nat. Hist. Antarct. Voy. "Southern Cross," 1898-
1900, 320; 1902, non Hook. f. & Tayl., 1844.
Usnea sulphurea f. sphacebta Th. Fr., Nyt. Mag. Naturvidensk., 40, 208 ; 1902 non U. sphmacalatu
R. Brown, 1824.
Neuropogon melaxanthum Darb., Nat. Antarct. ["Discovery "1 Exp. Nat. Hist., 5,7 ; 1910: Brit.
Antarct. ["Terra Nova"] Exp. Nat. Hist. Rept. Bot., 58; 1923 excl. syn.
Type: South Victoria Land, Geikie Land, 71" 40' S., 170" E., Admiralty Range, 700 m.,
C. E. Barchgrevink, Bot. Mus. Vpsala.
Thallus erect or prostrate, fruticose, 3 4 cm. tall, sparingly branched, eramulose, rigid, sore-
diose, strawcolour, yellowing, tips black or with black bands, or completely blackened, smooth,
somewhat shining; base thick, up to 1.5 mm. rigid, sparsely sympodially or diochotomously
branched above, branches slightly attenuate at the base and subulate attenuate at the tips, usu-
ally almost simple or branched below the tips, terete, glabroue, shining, smooth, lateral branches
rare, somewhat constricted at the base, ascending, appressed; cortex about 6OP thick, almost