Variat colore superficiei superioris flavido v. caesio, nunc glauco-virescente ; foliis planis v. sublacunosis; maiginibus loborurn planis v. elevatis, lsevibus v. crispatis, nudis v. granulis corniculatis dense obsitis.
This, and the Nephroma arctica, are the most noble foliaceous Lichens of the Antarctic regions. The present is particularly so, the brightness of its golden thallus, and its great abundance on the sea-ward edges of the Fuegian forest, rendering it a very conspicuous plant. It is also found in Chiloe and Juan Fernandez, and in the Old World it inhabits New Zealand. Though an ally of S. aurata, it is perfectly distinct from that plant, especially in the granular and not powdery margins of the thallus, also in size and general features. It is certainly as well marked as any species of Lichen confined to the southern latitudes.
Plate CXCV. Fig.U. — 1, plant in usual state; 2 and 3, portions of thallus; 4, plant as covered with granular tubercles of the natural size ; 5, granular surface of thallus; 6, apothecia; 7, under surface of thallus j 8, lamina proligera; 9, spores: — all highly magnified.
3. Sticta oryynuea, Ach.; Fl.Antarct. Pt. 1. p. 197.
Hab. Staten Land, (M. Ac/iariics). Strait of Magalhaens, D'Urville.
This species was not seen at Cape Horn or the Falkland Islands: but we have specimens from Chiloe and Juan Fernandez. It is singular that a Lichen, which abounds in Lord Auckland's group and Campbell's Island, should not be also found at Cape Horn; and that the S. endochrysa of Cape Horn is found in New Zealand, but does not spread so far south as Lord Auckland's group. The much greater cold of Fuegia might be prejudicial to the S. orygmaa, but there is no apparent reason for S. oidoclirym being foreign to Lord Auckland's group. I suspect that the Acharian plant from Staten Land, referred to as S. orygmaa, is the S.endocltrym, Del; and that the specimens were received from Menzies.
There are very remarkable differences between the Lichens of those two divisions of Antarctic botany which are here adopted : the most salient features of which consist in the presence or abundance of the following Lichens in only one of the divisions.
Lord Auckland's Group and Campbell's Island. Cape Horn.
Umea melaxantlia. Ramalina infiata. Ramalina scopulorum. Stereocaulon ramulosum. Cetraria Mandica. Argus. Nephroma polaris. Sticta orygnima. Stereocaulon corallinum. Menziesii. Sticta endochrysa. Delisea ? crocata. faveolata. Freycinetii.
This remarkable predominance of certain very widely distributed forms in the southern extremity of the Western Hemisphere, and the absence of the same in similar positions in the Eastern, admit of no explanation, beyond what climate will afford.
4. Sticta olroluta, Ach. ; Lick. Univ. p. 452 (vix Delise). S. hirsuta, Mont, in Toy. au Pole Sud, Bot. Crypt, p. 188. 1. 15. f. 2.
Hab. Staten Land; Menzies. Strait of Magalhaens ; M.llombron.
Of this we possess an authentically named specimen, gathered and labelled by Menzies himself: in it the cyphelke are pale yellow ; as Montague describes those of his S. hirsuta. M. Delise does not seem to have understood the species, and describes apparently a very different plant under this name. It is closely allied to the S. comet ia of Peru, in which the apothecia are fringed with much longer hairs, and also to the S. Humboldtii, Hook., another Peruvian plant with fringed apothecia ; but both of these have white cyphellae.
Sticta obwluta is also a native of South Chili and Juan Fernandez.
