A GUIDE TO THE STUDY OF LICHENS
/ ALBERT SCHNEIDER, M. D., Ph.D.
A guide to the study of
lichens (1904)
Author: Schneider, Albert,
1863-1928
Subject: Lichens
Publisher: Boston, Knight
and Millet
Possible copyright status:
NOT_IN_COPYRIGHT
Language: English
Call number: 004599350
Digitizing sponsor: NCSU
Libraries
Book contributor: NCSU
Libraries
Collection: americana
Scanfactors: 30
A GUIDE TO THE STUDY OF LICHENS
/ ALBERT SCHNEIDER, M. D., Ph.D.
Professor of Botany,
Materia Medica and Pharmacognosy,
California College of
Pharmacy, San Francisco
With frontispiece in color
and
Twenty plates
SECOND EDITION
BOSTON
KNIGHT AND MILLET
1904
Copyright, 1898
By Albert Schneider
All rights reserved
CONTENTS.
Preface
Introduction
PART I.
The General Consideration
of Lichens.
SECTION I.
The History of Lichenology
1
I. From the Earliest Time
to Wallroth and
Meyer (1825) 2
II. From Wallroth and Meyer
(1825) to the Close
of 1896 8
SECTION II.
The Uses of Lichens 16
I. The Function of Lichens
in Nature ... 17
II. The Economic Value of
Lichens .... 18
SECTION III.
What are Lichens? 25
I. The Origin of a Lichen
29
II. The Relation of the
Lichens to Algjs and
Fungi 33
in. Lichens as
Morphological Units .... 36
VI CONTENTS.
SECTION IV.
The Morphology and
Physiology of Lichens ... 39
I. The Thallus 39
1. The Cbdstose Type 41
2. The Foliose Type . -. 42
3. The Fbuticose Type 44
II. The Apothecia 45
1. The Fungal Type 46
2. The Thalline Type 47
III. Accessory Structures
48
1. The Soredia 48
2. The Cyphell-e 49
3. The Cephalodia 50
4. The Spermagonia 50
SECTION V.
The Occurrence and
Distribution of Lichens ... 52
I. The Latitudinal and
Altitudinal Distribution
OF Lichens 52
SECTION VI.
Lichens and the Naturalist
56
I. The Collection of
Lichens 56
II. The Study of Lichens 63
III. The Pbesebyation of
Lichens 65
PART II.
The Systematic Study of
Lichens.
SECTION I.
Systems of Classification
73
SECTION II.
Keys to the Study of
Lichens 76
I. Artificial Kky to the
More Important Genera
OCCUBBINQ IN THE UNITED
STATES ... 77
II. Natural Key to the
Families 80
CONTENTS. VH
Description of Families,
Genera and Species ... 81
I. Caliciace^ SI
II. Cladoniace^ 87
III. Lecideace^ 102
IV. Gbaphidace^ . . ; 124
V. Physciace^ 132
VI. Parmeliace^ 144
VII. Verrucariageje 169
VIII. COLLEMACE^ . . 179
IX. Pannariace^ 184
Lichens Imperfecti, or
False Lichens 201
The Continental Range of
the Lichens Occurring in
THE United States 202
Alphabetical List of the
Genera and Species Repre-
sented in the United States
204
General Index 225
Plates 235
PREFACE.
This little work is
especially written and arranged for the
use of amateurs in the
study of lichens. By this it is not in-
tended to convey the idea
that the presentation of the subject-
matter is unscientific,
incorrect or even out of date. The
treatment of the subject is
in harmony with the most recent
results obtained by tlie
leaders in the study of lichenology ; I
have simply endeavored to
present these results in such a way
that they may be
comprehended by all ; in other words, an at-
tempt has been made to
popularize our present knowledge of
lichens. It should,
however, be kept clearly in mind that
only the known facts or the
completed work of science can be
popularized. The
advance-work of science, that is, the work
whose aim it is to make
7}ew discoveries or to correct errors, can
never he popularized ; as
soon as this is attempted it ceases to
be advance-work. This
statement is intended for those of the
laity who are inclined to
speak of scientific work as " non-
sense " or as " a
morbid taste for using big words." It is also
intended for the serious
consideration of those would-be scien-
tists who are too anxious
to "popularize science." It is
further hoped that this
statement will avoid possible erro-
neous conclusions as to the
intended purpose of this book.
The existing
nomenclature-difiiculty does not concern or
interest the average
student of nature. In fact, the leading
scientific specialists are
themselves as yet wholly at sea as to
when and where the
controversy will end. For this reason
the citation of authorities
is omitted. Tlie names given are
well authenticated, so that
those who have the desire and the
X PREFACE.
opportunity may enter into
the consideration of the synonymy
and tlie
nomenclature-controversy.
The lichens described are.
the more common forms occur-
ring in the United States,
those with which tlie collector is
likely to come in contact.
At the close is given a fairly
complete list of the
lichens found in the United States ; this
will prove helpful to those
who wish to make exchanges.
The artificial key is
especially intended for the use of those
who are not in possession
of a compound microscope.
I take this opportunity to
express my grateful obligations
to Dr. N. L. Britton and
Prof. Lucian M. Underwood, of
Columbia University, who
placed at my disposal the Univer-
sity collection of lichens.
I am also greatly indebted to my
wife, who has kindly given
aid in correcting the manuscript
and in reading the proof.
Albert Schneider.
Chicago, January, 1898.
PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION.
The changes to the second
edition are the addition of six
full-page half-tone
illustrations of typical representatives of
the three gi'eat
subdivisions of the lichens ; namely, the
crustose, foliose, and
fruticose. These veill be of great
value to beginners in the
study of this remai'kable group of
plants.
Since the issue of the
first edition no important discov-
eries have been made in
lichenology, hence no changes have
become necessary in the
text.
I take this opportunity to
express my obligations to Miss
Alice Eastwood, of the
California Academy of Science, and
K. S. Gray, Attorney, San
Francisco, for the loan of mate-
rial, as well as for
assistance in collecting specimens.
Albert Schneider.
San Francisco, August,
1903.
INTRODUCTION.
Lichens form a group of
plants which has been
not so much overlooked and
neglected as misunder-
stood and abused. The term
lichen is rather un-
familiar, but not so the
term " moss," by which the
plants here referred to are
quite generally known
to layman as well as to
poet. And, indeed, the term
moss is justifiable if we
trace it to its Scandinavian
origin. All comparatively
small thalloid cryptogams
— that is, flattened,
stemless and flowerless plants —
were known as moss (most,
mossa, moos, mus). The
term, therefore, included
lichens, liverworts and mosses
proper. But from the
present standpoint of science
lichens are not mosses, as
will be made clear later ;
lichens are an independent
group of plants having no
genetic relationship to
mosses.
Nor must it be supposed for
a moment that lichens
are uninteresting and
insignificant. With the one ex-
ception of marine algae, no
plants present such truly
beautiful and artistic
features to the amateur in nature-
study. No group of plants
is so easily obtainable or
Xll INTRODUCTION.
lends itself so readily to
the critical examination of the
student and to the
decorative fancies of the artisan.
Neither is it necessary to
enter a plea for the kindly
consideration of these
plants because they have been
neglected and abused.
Lichens do not require pity :
they are more than
competent to hold their own in
the great struggle for
existence. Indeed, many of the
much petted and much praised
higher plants owe their
very existence to the
lichens. It is true, lichens can-
not boast of an exalted
origin or noble ancestry, but
they have gradually
advanced in a beneficent life-work,
so that at present their
lowly origin is wholly lost
sight of.
Let us, therefore, obtain a
better insight into these
plants, so that we may
judge them more fairly and as-
sign them to their proper
position in the world of life,
and duly credit them with
the grand work they are
performing. Let us hope that
no one, on seeing a
lichen, will say, " Oh
! that is a moss," or, " It's noth-
ing ; it just grows on
trees." A lichen is as deserving
of recognition as the oak
upon which it grows or the
reindeer whose life it
sustains.