Abstract:

  The classification of the Umbilicariaceae has been arranged in at least three different

   systems according to former lichenologists.  According both to Frey (1933)and to Imshaug

   (1957) all the species in this family belong to the genus Umbilicaria.  But Scholander

   (1934) accepted four genera: Umbilicaria, Omphalodiscus, Gyrophora, and Actinogyra;

   while Llano (1950) recognized five genera: Lasallia, Agyrophora, Omphalodiscus, Umbilicaria,

   and Actinogyra: these genera being based on apothecial characters and phylogeny. Savicz

   (1950), after a study of the opinions of Frey and of Scholander, and of other lichenologists

   and also his own conclusions on the Soviet material, grouped the latter species into two

   genera, Umbilicaria and Gyrophora, reducing some genera of the Llano-Scholander system

   to subgeneric status under the genus Gyrophora.  Thus, the classification of this family is

   still in a confused state.  Pending a thorough restudy of the systematics of the Umbilica-

   riaceae, the treatment of the Chinese species in this work is provisionally according to Llano's

   monograph, partly because of its covering both Eastern and Western species.

         In the present note three species of Umbilicariaceae are described from Northern and

   Eastern China.

        (1) Umbilicaria esculenta (Miyoshi) Minks-Western Tianmu-shan, Chekiang;

   and Hwang-shan, Anhwei, alt. 1387 m and 1943 m.  This species is the famous “Shi-er.”

   it is usually regarded as a Japanese endemic species in foreign literature, however, for many

   centuries it has been used  as a delicacy in China. “Shi-er” is renowned for its sterility,

   nevertheless, the author is fortunate enough to  find a fertile specimen among those bought

   in Hwang-shan.  It is dotted with dozens of black apothecia.  They are up to 1800μ

   in diameter;  proper margin indistinct;  gyri concentric, parallel or somewhat radial;  asci

   immature;  paraphyses, free, flexuous, septa indistinct, branched, apices not enlarged; 2μ

   in diameter, about 54μ tall.  The apothecia are sessile instead of adnate as in  “iwa-take,

   the Japanese “Shi-er,” described by Miyoshi.  The morphology of “Shi-er” agrees well with

   Llano's descriptions of the Japanese specimen, except in the following three respects: (a)

   “Shi-er” is 5 cm. bigger than the Japanese specimen, up to 18 cm in diameter; (b)it is

   also thicker (480μ), but it is. much thinner in young thalli (133-181μ); (c) its

   upper cortex is pseudoparenchymatous, instead of palisadeplechtenchymatous as it is in the

   Japanese specimen described by Llano.(1950). Frey (1929, p. 225) stated that the cells

   of the lower cortex were in vertical rows, but this is not observed in the six specimens

   examined by the author, and it is not very evident in his own drawing (Fig. 4c) either.

   Therefore, the author thinks it is better to call it pseudoparenchymatous, namely paraplec-

   tenchymatous.

       (2) Umbilicaria hypococcina (Jatta) Llano-Wutai-shan, Shansi, same

   locality from which M. S. Clemens collected this species in 1913.  Many black, adnate,

   roundish, plane apothecia are scattered on the surface of every thallus.  They are 460-790μ

   in diameter, with a distinct proper margin. The gyri are parallel or concentric. Just as they

were  previously  described,  these  apparently mature apothecia  are  without spores.  The

author's specimens agree well with Llano's description except in the following two respects:

(a) the upper cortex is twice as thick as in the specimen examined by Llano; (b) an outer

pseudoparenchymatous layer and an inner prosoplectenchymatous layer are discernible in the

lower cortex.

      So far as the author knows, since Jatta first described it in 1902, this species is never

been reported from any locality outside China; therefore, it is probably endemic to China.

      The species “Gyrophora hypocrocina”  recorded  in Symbolae Sinicae is not another

species, but the specific name was wrongly spelled,

      (3) Lasallia pustulata (L.) Merat-Hwang-shan, Anhwei, alt. 1387 m., 1682 m.

and 1943 m.  This Chinese  lichen is smaller than European and  American  conspesific

individuals, being. 20-55 mm. in diameter.  In size, it approaches Merrill's “Umbilicaria

fokiensis,” which the author does not regard as a valid species.  Though smaller in size,

the thalli of this Chinese lichen are much thicker (128-224μ).  The upper cortex is

pseudoparenchymatous,  not “paraplechtenchymatous”  (......”fails  to  reveal  any  definite

structure” according to Llano, 1950, p, 16), and what the author observes is in accordance

with Galloe's drawings (1950, P1. 70, figs. 443, 445)and Frey's drawing (1931, p. 108.

Fig. 7).