Page:VCH Suffolk 1.djvu/117

BOTANY Florideae (con/.) Brongniartella byssoides, Bory. (H. & S.) Heterosiphonia plumosa, Batt. Spermothamnion Turner!, Aresch. Griffithsia flosculosa, Batt. Halurus equisetifolius, KUtz. (H. & S.) Rhodochorton Rothii, NSg. Florideae (cone.) Callithamnionpolyspermum, Ag. — roseum, Har/. — Hookeri, Ag. [— tetricum, Ag. (H. & S.)] Plumaria elegans, Schm. Antithamnion Plumula, Thur. Ceramium rubrum, Ag. — ciliatum, Ducluz. (H. & S.) (acanthonotum ?) Florideae (cott/.) Halarachnion ligulatum, Kutz. O.B.G. Furcellaria fastigiata, Lamour. Polyides rotundus, Grev. (Grev.) Corallina officinalis, L. Excluded Speciss Sargassum vulgare, Ag. LICHENES {Lichens) The list of lichens occurring in the county is more extensive than might have been expected, the want of rocks being partially compensated by the brick and stone walls, some of them of great age, to which many lichens are restricted through the utter absence of rock surfaces. Interesting species are also found on the pebbles, which are scattered over some of our waste and barren land, and also on the ground in like localities. This is more particularly the case with the uncultivated portion of the Breck district, such as Thetford Warren, which is wholly in this county. Many species of lichens were first admitted into the British flora from specimens collected in Suffolk and Norfolk, and a considerable proportion of these were due to the investigation of Mr. Dawson Turner, who, in conjunction with Mr. Borrer, diligently collected and studied them. A good list of the Suffolk species is given in Henslow and Skepper's Flora. The additions made since are principally due to Mr. C. Larbalestier, who has added much to our knowledge of British lichens, and to whom Leighton's Lichen Flora is dedicated. All that is known of Suffolk lichens to the present time is recorded by the Rev. E. N. Bloomfield, in the Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists^ Society (1904-5), viii, 1 17-37. Here we can only mention a few species. On walls Lecanora atra and several Lecideei, such as Lecidea canescens, are abundant, while less common are Lecanora parella and sulphurea, Urceolaria scruposa, and Squamaria saxicola at Bury. In the north-west Lecanora arenaria is not uncommon, and the scarce Placodium decipiens has been found at Herringfleet, Framlingham Castle, and Brandon. On old raihngs various species are found, as Parmelia physodes and saxatilis and other Parmeliae, &c., and rarely Calicium chrysocephalum, Lecidea ostreata^ and Trachylia tigillaris ; this latter is a very pretty species, bright yellow, with small black apothecia ; it has occurred at Southtown and Little Glemham, and Mr. Larbalestier found it in plenty on some old posts at Felixstowe. T. ty>npanella is not uncommon on tops of posts and on gates, and stains the fingers touching it, with its sooty spores. Many species are common on trees, such as various Parmeliae, Parmelia caperata, pulverulent a., steltaris, Sec. P. acetabulum is both local and scarce, and the handsome Physcia ciliaris is not uncommon. Sticta pulmonaria is recorded for Suffolk, but must be very scarce ; the curious batswing Collema nigrescens is conspicuous in wet weather on trees, but shrinks up when dry. All these are foliaceous species. Young ash trees appear as if covered in places with patches like wax ; this is due to Verrucaria nitida. There are also various Graphidei, as Opegrapha lyncea on old oaks, Graphis scripta, Sec, and Stigmatidium crassum, a very curious but inconspicuous lichen ; although it well deserves its old name Lichen obscurus, it can be recognized at once by any one accustomed to its peculiar thallus. On the barren heaths and denes there are various interesting species, as Cladina rangiferina, the reindeer moss ; the allied very elegant C. sylvatica, the strange looking prickly Cetraria aculeuta, and sometimes Lecidea caeruleonigricans. There are also various kinds of the poly- morphous Cladoniei, as Cladonia endiviaefolia, cariosa, alcicornis, gracilis, &c. The following scarce species are recorded by Mr. Larbalestier from Thetford Warren : — Jlectoria jubata, var. chalyheiformis ; Urceolaria scruposa, var. bryophila ; Parmelia conspersa, var. Mougeotii, Lecanora umbrino-fusca, L. pyreniospora {Conradi) on very old excrements of sheep, 79