LICHENS AND LICHEN. PARASITES

218 B.A.N.Z. ANTARCTIC RESEAHCII ESPEDTTlON
axils which are wider, somewhat inflated, fistnlose (perhaps from degeneration of old soredia rather
than as in R. iqzjluta), holes long elliptic, irregularly placed, often along the edges of the branches,
colour when fresh unlrnown (preserved specimens xiearly white, variously spotted with brown),
true cortex lacking, replaced by mechanical tissue about 40p thiclr, highly gelified, of longitudinal
branched hyphae with very narrow lumina; algal layer 20p thiclr, continuous, of closely packed
cells 5-6p in diameter (absent in one branch sectioned except in soralia) ; central portion stuffed
with thick-walled, browriish hyphae, 34p in diameter, very loosely woven; soralia elliptic, white,
somewhat eroded, soredia of a few closely packed algal cells, 5-6p in diameter, more or less angular
from mutual pressure, snrrounded by a few layers of very slender, thin-walled, hyaline hyphae,
resting on a thin layer of the same type of hyphae. Apothecia and spermogoiiia not seen.
Growing tangled with Cladoniaceae. This species belongs in the sect. Ecorticatae Stnr. and is
closely related to R. injlata and R. genkztlatu, perhaps a sorediose coi~ditioli derived from one of
them. Only more and better material can solve the probiem raised. As these species have often
been confused and may later be found in our area, I have provided descriptions below, based on
material in the herbarium of Thomas Taylor at IIarvard University.
Macquarie Island, Featherbed Flat, Sta. Sla, R.A.N.Z.A.R.E. 531-25,531-26,531-27,531-28,
531-29,531-30; north end of island, Sta. 81, B.A.N.Z.A.R.E. 540-14.
Ranudinu linearis (Sw.) Ach., Lichenogr. ITniv., 598; 1810.
Lichen li~benris (Sw.), Meth. Musc., 3G, pl. 2, fig. 3 ; 1781.
Type : New Zealand, no collector cited. The following descriptior~
is based on New Zealand,
J. D. Hooker (Voy. "Erebus & Terror" in Taylor Herb. at Harvard Univ. sub R. gelziculata
Hook. f. & Tayl., plants marltecl "c" by 3liiller-Argan and determined by him as R. linearis. (cf.
Flora, 71, 132 ; 1888).
Thallus 5 cm. tall, basal portion reticulate foraminous (as in R. reticliluta [Noehd.]
IZrmplhbr.), repeatedly dichotomons, the hraiiches flattened, somewllat rlervose costate becoming
canaliculate with the margins slightly inrolled, ultimate branches very narrow but still flat, apo-
thecia borne along the margins on short stipes, not producing a bend of the frond at the point of
attachment; probably whitish ashy when fresh, now light pinkish cinnamon; cortex lacking, being
replaced by mechanical tissue which is 3510p thick (with thickenings up to 75p), highly gelified,
of predominantly longitudinal, conglutinate, thick-wallecl hyphae about 7-8p in diameter, lumen
about lp; algal layer 40-75p thick, sometimes completely filling the central portion,:tending to
occur in subspherical colonies with spaces between the colonies filled with loosely woven medullary
hyphae about 5p in diameter, lumen about lp; central portion with large air spaces but not truly
hollow ; K-. c
Apothecia up to 2.mm. in diameter, disc slightly coilcave at first with slightly elevated margin,
becoming very convex and immarginate, evciple smooth, pale ochraceous buff from whitish pruina ;
amphithecia1 cortex highly gelified, 9Op thick, thinning toward the margin, outer 35p a palisade,
rest of irregularly periclinal hyphae, similar to the mechanical tissue of the thallns; al, we abnn-
dant under the central portion of the thecium, thinning and disappearing under the outer two
thirds, medullary hyphae not differentiated apart from the algal portion; hypothecium about 35p
thick, of very slender, densely woven hyphae, thiniiing to about 2OP at the margin, hyphae increas-
ingly periclinal and expanding upward to the margin of the thecinm as a parathecium; thecium
about 75p tall; paraphyses very slender, dichotoinously branched above the asci, tips not conspicn-
ously thickened, epithecium gelified with minute crystals; asci cylindric clavate, 8-spored,