liver wort; in botany; a genus of the natural order of algae, belonging to the cryptogamia class of plants. The male receptacle is roundish, somewhat plain and shining. In the female the leaves have a farina or mealy substance scattered over them. There are about 130 species, all found in Britain. Among the most remarkable are the following:
1. The geographicus; it is frequent in rocks, and may be readily distinguished at a distance. The crust or ground is of a bright greenish-yellow colour, sprinkled over with numerous plain black tubercles; which frequently run into one another, and form lines resembling the rivers in a map, from which last circumstance it takes its name.
2. The calcarious, or black-nobbed dyer's lichen, is frequent on calcareous rocks; and hath a hard, smooth, white, stoney, or tartarous crust, cracked or tessellated on the surface, with black tubercles. Dillenius relates, that this species is used in dyeing, in the same manner as the tartarea after mentioned.
3. The ventofus, or red spangled tartarous lichen, hath a hard tartarous crust, cracked and tessellated on the surface, of a pale yellow colour when fresh, and a light olive when dry. The tubercles are of a blood-red colour at top, their margin and base of the same colour as the crust. The texture and appearance of this (according to Mr Lightfoot), indicate that it would answer the purposes of dyeing as well as some others of this tribe, if proper experiments were made.
4. The candelarius, or yellow farinaceous lichen, is common upon walls, rocks, boards, and old pales. There are two varieties. The first has a farinaceous crust of no regular figure, covered with numerous, small, greenish-yellow, or olive shields, and grows commonly upon old boards. The other has a smooth, hard, circular crust, wrinkled and lobed at the circumference, which adheres closely to rocks and stones. In the centre are numerous shields of a deeper yellow or orange colour, which, as they grow old, fawn in the middle, and assume the figure of tubercles. The inhabitants of Smaland in Sweden scrape this lichen from the rocks, and mix it with their tallow, to make golden candles to burn on festival days.
5. The tartarius, or large yellow-saucer'd dyer's lichen, is frequent on rocks, both in the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. The crust is thick and tough, either white, or greenish-white, and has a rough warted surface. The shields are yellow or buff-coloured, of various sizes, from that of a pin's head to the diameter of a silver penny. Their margins are of the same colour as the crust. This lichen is much used by the Highlanders for dyeing a fine claret or pompadour colour. For this purpose, after scraping it from the rocks, and cleaning it, they steep it in urine for a quarter of a year. Then taking it out, they make it into cakes, and hang them up in bags to dry. These cakes are afterwards pulverized, and the powder is used to impart the colour with an addition of alum.
6. The parellus, or crawfish-eye lichen, grows upon walls and rocks, but is not very common. The crusts spread closely upon the place where they grow, and cover them to a considerable extent. They are rough, tartarous, and ash-coloured, of a tough coriaceous substance. The shields are numerous and crowded, having white or ash coloured, shallow, plain discs, with obtuse margins. This is used by the French for dyeing a red colour.
7. The saxatilis, or grey-blue pitted lichen, is very common upon trunks of trees, rocks, tiles, and old wood. It forms a circle two or three inches diameter. The upper surface is of a blue-grey and sometimes of a whitish ash-colour, uneven, and full of numerous small pits or cavities; the under side is black, and covered all over, even to the edges, with short simple hairs or radicles. A variety sometimes occurs with leaves tinged of a red or purple colour. This is used by finches and other small birds in constructing the outside of their curiously formed nests.
8. The omphalodes, or dark-coloured dyers lichen, is frequent upon rocks. It forms a thick widely expanded crust of no regular figure, composed of numerous imbricated leaves of a brown or dark-purple colour, divided into small segments. The margins of the shields are a little crisped and turned inwards, and their outside ash-coloured. The lichen is much used by the Highlanders in dyeing a reddish brown colour. They steep it in urine for a considerable time, till it becomes soft and like a paste; then, forming the paste into cakes, they dry them in the sun, and preserve them for use in the manner already related of the tartarius.
9. The parietinus, or common yellow wall-lichen, is very common upon walls, rocks, tiles of houses, and trunks of trees. It generally spreads itself in circles of two or three inches diameter, and is said to dye a good yellow or orange colour with alum.
10. The islandicus, or eatable Iceland lichen, grows on many mountains both of the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland. It consists of nearly erect leaves about two inches high, of a stiff substance when dry, but soft and pliant when moist, variously divided without order into broad distant segments, bifid or trifid at the extremities. The upper or interior surface of the leaves is concave, chestnut colour, smooth, and shining, but red at the base; the under or exterior surface is smooth and whitish, a little pitted, and sprinkled with very minute black warts. The margins of the leaves and all the segments from bottom to top are ciliated with small, short, Lichen.
short, stiff, hair-like spinules, of a dark chestnut colour, turning towards the upper side. The shields are very rarely produced. For the uses of this as an excellent herb, see Iceland, no. 10. Made into broth or gruel, it is said to be very serviceable in coughs and consumptions; and, according to Haller and Scopoli, is much used in these complaints in Vienna.
11. The pulmonarius, or lung-wort lichen, grows in shady woods upon the trunks of old trees. The leaves are as broad as a man's hand, of a kind of leather-like substance, hanging loose from the trunk on which it grows, and laciniated into wide angular segments. Their natural colour, when fresh, is green; but in drying, they turn first to a glaucous and afterwards to a fuscous colour. It has an astringent, bitter taste; and, according to Gmelin, is boiled in ale in Siberia, instead of hops. The ancients used it in coughs and asthmas, &c., but it is not used in modern practice.
12. The calicaris, or beaked lichen, grows sometimes upon trees, but more frequently upon rocks, especially on the sea-coasts, but is not very common. It is smooth, glossy, and whitish, producing flat or convex shields, of the same colour as the leaves, very near the summits of the segments, which are acute and rigid, and, being often reflected from the perpendicular by the growth of the shields, appear from under their limbs like a hooked beak. This will dye a red colour; and promises, in that intention, to rival the famous Lichen Rocolla or Argol, which is brought from the Canary Islands, and sometimes sold at the price of 80l. per ton. It was formerly used instead of starch to make hair-powder.
13. The prunaltiri, or common ragged hoary lichen, grows upon all sorts of trees; but it is generally most white and hoary on the floe and old palm trees, or upon old pales. This is the most variable of the whole tribe of lichens, appearing different in figure, magnitude, and colour, according to its age, place of growth, and sex. The young plants are of a glaucous colour, slightly divided into small acute crested segments. As they grow older, they are divided like a stag's horn, into more and deeper segments, somewhat broad, flat, soft, and pitted on both sides, the upper surface of a glaucous colour, the under one white and hoary.—The male plants, as Linnæus terms them, are short, seldom more than an inch high, not hoary on the under side; and have pale glaucous shields situated at the extremities of the segments, standing on short peduncles, which are only small stiff portions of the leaf produced.—The female specimens have numerous farinaceous tubercles both on the edges of their leaves, and the wrinkles of their surface.—The pulverised leaves have been used as a powder for the hair, and also in dyeing yarn of a red colour.
14. The juniperinus, or common yellow tree-lichen, is common upon the trunks and branches of elms and many other trees. Linnæus says it is very common upon the juniper. The Gothland Swedes dye their yarn of a yellow colour with it, and give it as a specific in the jaundice.
15. The caninus, or ash-coloured ground-liverwort, grows upon the ground among mosses, at the roots of trees in shady woods, and is frequent also in heaths and stony places. The leaves are large, gradually dilated towards the extremities, and divided into roundish elevated lobes. Their upper side, in dry weather, is ash-coloured; in rainy weather, of a dull fuscous green colour; their under-side white and hoary, having many thick downy nerves, from which descend numerous, long, white, pencil-like radicles. The peltæ, or shields, grow at the extremities of the elevated lobes, shaped like the human nail; of a roundish oval form, convex above, and concave beneath; of a chocolate colour on the upper side, and the same colour with the leaves on the under. There are two varieties, the one called reddish, and the other many-fingered, ground-liverwort. The former is more common than the other. This species has been rendered famous by the celebrated Dr. Mead, who asserted that it was an infallible preventative of the dreadful consequences attending the bite of a mad dog. He directed half an ounce of the leaves dried and pulverised to be mixed with two drachms of powdered black pepper. This was to be divided into four doses, one of which was to be taken by the patient every morning fasting, for four mornings successively, in half a pint of warm cow's milk; after which he was to use the cold bath every morning for a month. It is much to be lamented, however, that the success of this medicine, or indeed any other recommended for the same purpose, hath not always answered the expectation. There are instances where the application has not prevented the hydrophobia, and it is even uncertain whether it has ever been instrumental in keeping off that disorder.
16. The aphthosus, or green ground-liverwort with black warts, grows upon the ground at the roots of trees in woods, and other stony and mossy places. It differs very little from the foregoing, and according to some is only a variety of it. Linnæus informs us, that the country-people of Upland in Sweden give an infusion of this lichen in milk to children that are troubled with the disorder called the thrush or aphtha, which induced that ingenious naturalist to bestow upon it the trivial name of aphthosus. The same writer also tells us, that a decoction of it in water purges upwards and downwards, and will destroy worms.
17. The cocciferus, or scarlet-tipped cup-lichen, is frequent in moors and heaths. It has in the first state a granulated crust for its ground, which is afterwards turned into small laciniated leaves, green above, and hoary underneath. The plant assumes a very different aspect, according to the age, situation, and other accidents of its growth; but may be in general readily distinguished by its fructifications, which are fungous tubercles of a fine scarlet colour, placed on the rim of the cup, or on the top of the stalk. These tubercles, steeped in an alkaline lixivium, are said to dye a fine durable red colour.
18. The rangiferinus, or rein-deer lichen, is frequent in woods, heaths, and mountainous places. Its general height, when full grown, is about two inches. The stalk is hollow, and very much branched from bottom to top; the branches are divided and subdivided, and at last terminated by two, three, four, or five very fine, short, nodding horns. The axillæ of the branches are often perforated. The whole plant is of a hoary white or grey colour, covered with white farinaceous particles, light and brittle when dry, soft and elastic when moist. The fructifications are very minute, round, fuscous, or reddish-brown tubercles, which grow on the very extremities of the finest branches; but these tubercles are very seldom found. The plant seems to have no foliaceous ground for the base, nor scarcely any visible roots.—Linnaeus tells us, that in Lapland this moss grows so luxuriant that it is sometimes found a foot high. There are many varieties of this species, of which the principal is the sylvaticus, or brown-tipped rein-deer lichen. The most remarkable difference between them is, that the sylvaticus turns fulvous by age, while the other always continues white. For the uses of these species, see LAPLAND.
19. The plicatus, or officinal stringy lichen, grows on the branches of old trees, but is not very common. The stalks are a foot or more in length, cylindrical, rigid, and string-shaped, very irregularly branched, the branches entangled together, of a cinereous or ash-colour, brittle and stringy if doubled short, otherwise tough and pliant, and hang pendent from the trees on which they grow. The shields grow generally at the extremities of the branches, are nearly flat, or slightly concave, thin, ash-coloured above, pale-brown underneath, and radiated with fine rigid fibres. As the plant grows old, the branches become covered with a white, rough, warty crust; but the young ones are destitute of it. It was formerly used in the shops as an astringent to stop hemorrhages, and to cure ruptures; but is out of the modern practice. Linnaeus informs us, that the Laplanders apply it to their feet to relieve the excoriations occasioned by much walking.
20. The barbatus, or bearded lichen, grows upon the branches of old trees in thick woods and pine-forests. The stalks or strings are slightly branched and pendulous, from half a foot to two feet in length, little bigger than a tailor's common sewing thread; cylindrically jointed towards the base; but surrounded everywhere else with numerous, horizontal, capillary fibres, either simple or slightly branched. Their colour is a whitish green. This has an astringent quality like the preceding. When steeped in water, it acquires an orange colour; and, according to Dillenius, is used in Pennsylvania for dyeing that colour.
21. The vulpinus, or gold-wiry lichen, grows upon the trunks of old trees, but is not very common. It is produced in erect tufts, from half an inch to two inches in height, of a fine yellow or lemon-colour, which readily discovers it. The filaments which compose it are not cylindrical, but a little compressed and uneven in the surface, variously branched, the angles obtuse, and the branches straggling and entangled one with another. Linnaeus informs us, that the inhabitants of Smaland in Sweden dye their yarn of a yellow colour with this lichen; and that the Norwegians destroy wolves by stuffing dead carcases with this moss reduced to powder, and mixed with pounded glaas, and so exposing them in the winter-season to be devoured by those animals.