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I110U10UX also at one time considered it a distinct genus, and named
it Loricaria. I lie trond lie regarded as a solitary leaf at tlie base
of the branches, for so he denominated the divided receptacle. The
generic name is literally translated by the common English appellation
for tlie plant Sea Thongs.
1. H im a n t h a l ia l o r e a . Tab. III.
Frond subpynform at length collapsing plano-concave stalked, receptacles
repeatedly dichotomous linear slightly tapering at the extremity.
Himuntbalia lorea, L y n g b . H y d ro p h , D a n . p . .86. t. II. G r e v . F I. E d in . p . 285. O a ill. in
D i e t . S c . N a t . V. 53. p . 3b7.
Fucus loreus, L in n . .Syst. N a t . v . 2. p . 716. S t a c k h . N e r . D r i t . t . II). S m . E n g . B o t.
t . 669. T u r n . S y n . P u c . p . 246. H is t. F u c . t . 196. L am o u r . E s s a i, p . 19. Ag . S p .
A lg . V. 1. p . S y s t . A lg . p . 280. S p r e n g . S p . P I . v . 4. p . ,816.
Fucus elonyatus, L in n . S p . P I . p . 1627.
H a b . Rocks in the sea. Annual. Winter and spring. Common on
most of the British shores.
Root a small disk. Fronds generally growing together in a crowded
manner, - at first either cylindrical and somewhat pear-shaped, or
nearly globose, soon collapsing and becoming plano-concave, an inch
or more wide, and supported on a stem half an inch to an inch in
height. Out of the centre of this peltate frond arise one to three receptacles,
two to ten or more feet in length, three or four lines in
width, linear, compressed, repeatedly dichotomous, all the divisions of
nearly equal length, and looking very much like a set of leather thongs.
Fructification, tubercles immersed in the whole length of the receptacle,
discharging their seeds along with abundance of mucus through
their pores.
Substance coriaceous and tough. Colour olivaceous green. In drying
it adheres somewhat to paper on account of the quantity of mucus
in the receptacle, and becomes black, rigid and brittle.
I have already mentioned that the common name for this Alga is
Sea Thongs. Mr Neill states, that, in Orkney, it is called Drew,
a name, he observes, which would seem to be etymologically related
to the Badreux of the Straits of Magellan. This, again, appears'to
have some connection with Baudrier, or Baudraie, the name given to
Laminaria saccharina on some parts of the French coast. H. lorea
Bory de St Vincent, ha.s taken precisely the same view of Himanthalia, and
has added a second species.
L IC H IN E Æ . 21
is a large plant, being frequently six feet, sometimes ten, and even,
according to Borlase, in his History of Cornwall, twenty feet in length.
In Orkney, where it is plentiful, it is made into excellent kelp. In regard
to its duration, it appears to commence its vegetation in the
spring, and to arrive at maturity in the early part of the spring following.
Or d e r I I .— L IC H IN E Æ .
Plants marine, o f a blackish green colour, changing to deep black
on exposure to the air, o f a cartilaginous substance and fibrous
structure. Frond fia t or cylindrical, minute, branched in a
dichotomous or subpalmate manner. Fructification terminal
or nearly terminal, composed o f capsules furnished with a pore,
and filled with a colourless gelatinous mass o f very fine fila ments,
among which, pellucid oval or oblong seeds are disposed
in many radiating moniliform series.
G e n u s VI. LICHINA, Ag. Tab. VI.
<t e n . C h a r . Frond cartilaginous, blackisli green, diclioto-
mous. Fructification, roundish capsules of the same
colour, containing radiating moniliform lines of pellucid
seeds imbedded in a gelatinous mass of filaments.
A very curious genus of marine Algæ, containing only two species,
one of which was placed in the Lichen family by Acharius and
Sir J. E. Smith. Agardh arranged the genus among his F u c o i d e æ ,
but it must be kept in mind, that, at the time he wrote, the seeds had
not been observed : these are extremely minute, pellucid, and furnished
with no limbus. The fructification, in fact, bears no affinity
with that of the F u c o i d e æ ; and when taken along with the colour
and structure of the frond, the two species are equally excluded from
every other order. When the contents of the capsule are superficially
viewed, they resemble what we find in many Hphoerioe more than any