In venturing to consider Fucus ulvoides of Turner as a synonym of
Nitophyllum punctatum, I have chiefly been guided by some specimens
I possess, which were gatliered at Larne by my friend Dr Drummond.
They are intermediate between ttie more common state of N. punctatum
and Mr Turner’s figure of Fucus ulvoides. At the same time, candour
obliges me to confess that I am still in uncertainty respecting the
latter plant, and I do not see how the difficulties attending its discrimination
can be cleared up, until the second mode of fructification be
discovered. At present the capsular mode is only known. Agardh,
in his Species Algarum, supposed it might be a variety of Lamouroux’s
Delesseria oeellata, but in his Systema Algarum has carried his doubts
so far as to decline noticing it at all.
/
3. N it o p h y l l u m H i l l i ® .
Frond thickish but delicate, veined towards the base, of a roundish
general outline, vaguely and deeply cleft, the segments linear-oblong,
broad, rounded at the ends, spots of granules very numerous, puncti-
form, scattered over the whole frond.
Delesseria Hiltioe, O r e ï . C r y p t . F I. t . 361.
H a b . In the sea. Annual. October. Plymouth, Miss Hill. Near
Torquay, Mrs Griffiths. Whitsand Bay, Mr Walker Arnott.
Root a small disk. Frond arising with a stem about a line in
height, then at once expanding into a roundish frond, three to eight
inches long, two to six inches broad, cleft more or less deeply in its
circumference into irregular segments half an inch to above one inch
broad, very rounded at the ends, and seldom more than once subdivided,
sometimes slightly waved at the margin, and erose, as if torn.
Fructification ; 1. hemispherical capsules about the size of turnip-seed,
minutely umbonate, scattered rather remotely over the whole frond,
and containing roundish-ovate seeds ; 2. ternate granules forming minute
dot-like spots, hardly half a line apart, and scattered over the
whole surface.
Substance when fresh thickish and tender, semitransparent, adhering
imperfectly to paper in drying, cracking and becoming very thin
and membranous. Colour rose-red, changing to dull red, with a greenish
hue in old plants.
In my Cryptogamic Flora I have dedicated this plant to its discoverer,
Miss Hill of Plymouth, a lady who for many years devoted
much time and acute observation to the study and collecting of our
marine Algoe. The minute and thickly scattered sori are sufficient of
themselves to establish the species.
Those who have been so fortunate as to gather this fine species in
its fresh state, agi-ee in representing it as of a thicker substance than
its congeners. Miss Hill and Mrs Griffiths compare it to very fine
kid-leather when handled ; and Mr Arnott remarks, that it is “ thicker
than membranaceous.”
4. N it o p h y l l u m B o n n e m a is o n i .
Frond shortly stipitate extremely thin vaguely cleft the segments
roundish wedge-shaped, the stem vanishing at the base of the frond in
a few obscure veins, fructification scattered over the frond.
Delesseria Bmn em a ism i, Ag . S p . Alg. v . 1. p . 186. S y s t. A lg . p . 252. G r e v . C r y p t . F1.
t. 322.
H a b . in the sea. Annual. Summer. Orkney, Rev. C. Clouston.
Isle of Bute. Larne, Near Belfast, Dr Drummond.
Root a small red disk. Stem one to several lines in length, slender,
expanding into a semicircular or roundish wedge-shaped frond, two to
four inches in length, and two to five inches in width, or more, irregularly
cleft into roundish wedge-shaped segments: sometimes a few
smaller fronds arise from the sides of the stem. At the base of the
frond are a few veins produced by the disappearance of the stem.
Fructification scattered over tbe frond: capsules small; spots of ternate
granules oval, those in the centre about a line long.
Substance extremely thin delicate and inembranaceous, adhering to
paper in drying, easily lacerated. Colour a most beautiful rose-pink,
which changes to purplish in drying.
This species is clearly distinguished from the two subsequent ones,
by the spots of ternate granules being scattered over the disk of the
frond. The figures 2. and 3. in my Cryptogamic Flora, t. 322., belong
to N. Gmelini: at the time the drawing was made, I had not
seen both kinds of fructification. Many specimens of N Gmelini
closely resemble the present plant in their general outline. The error,
I trust, will be pardoned, in consideration of the difficulty of the
subject.