The Lichen-Flora of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands

Abstract

IT falls so rarely to the botanical reviewer in this country to notice works on Lichenology, that we gladly avail ourselves of the present opportunity of introducing to our readers a little unpretentious volume which has the excellent object primarily—“of elevating the knowledge of our insular lichens to a level with that of other branches of our country's flora,” and which, moreover, completely vindicates the title of Britain's lichens to at least equal study with the other families of her cryptogamia. Since the publication of Mudd's excellent “Manual” in 1861, the additions made to the lichen-flora of Great Britain and Ireland have been both so numerous and important, that lichenological students have felt the want of some systematic work containing a complete list of the British lichens up to the present date, along with specific diagnoses and other aids to their identification. It was generally felt, moreover, that no fitter authority could undertake so intricate a labour than Mr. Leighton, whose name is identified with lichenological progress in this country by the publication of many important papers of a monographic character, and who is justly regarded, both by home and foreign botanists, as the representative and father of lichenology and lichenologists in Britain. The present work, which we are glad to find is to be followed, in due time, by another which is even more urgently required—a Conspectus of all known lichens throughout the world—is a convenient 12mo volume of about 470 pages, which confines itself mainly to a systematic enumeration, with specific diagnoses, of all the lichens at present known to occur in “Great Britain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands.” The nomenclature and classification followed are those of Dr. Nylander, of Paris, who is described as “the facile princeps of modern microscopic lichenologists.” Succeeding the specific diagnoses, the author cites the leading synonyms; gives references to published plates and fasciculi of dried specimens; narrates the general geographical distribution of species throughout the world, on the one hand, and throughout the three kingdoms on the other; specifies the particular localities of growth in each of these latter kingdoms; and gives, so far as possible, the date of original discovery in Britain, with the name of the discoverer. The Lichen-Flora of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands. By the Rev. W. A. Leighton. (Published for the Author. Shrewsbury, 1871.)