lecanora

[From Gr. lek anē a dish, pot, or pan, from the form of the shields.] 1. Bot .: A genus of gymnocarpous lichens, family Parmelide, or of the tribe Lecidinese. It is akin to Lecidea, except that the epithecium has a thickish border formed of the crust and of the same color with it. Lecanora perella , L. tartare a (Cudbear), L. hæmatomma , and L. atra are used for dyeing. L. esculent a and L. affinis are found in Armenia, Algeria, ., and are blown about by the wind. The natives eat them in times of scarcity, and believe them to have been the manna of the Israeli tes. 2. Chem.: The ethereal extract of Lecanora atra , collected in the neighborhood of Palermo, Sicily. It is a mixture of two acids, which can be easily separated by means of chloroform; one (atranoric acid) is colorle , and slightly soluble in chlo roform; the other, which closely resemble susnic acid, is yellow, and very soluble in chloroform.