1
r
U COCCOPHYCIKÆ.
The red spots are at first rounded, then irregular, soon confluent, and
form an expanded crust, like coagulated blood of a deep purple colour.
Plate V.Jig. 6. a, plant natural size; b, cells magnified 400 diam.
Genus 8. B O T R Y D IN A . Breb. (1839.)
Cells oblong or rounded, involved in a very thick, gelatinous,
partially diffluent integument, in large families, Vfhich are often
very numerous, enclosed in a mother cell which constitutes a
snbglobose thallus.
Only one species in this genus.
Botzydina v u lg a r is . Breh. in Bass. Alg. 320.
Thallus minute, rarely larger th an the head of a pin, globose,
green.
S i z e . Thallus from 1 -500th to 1-lOth m m . ; cells -002--004
mm.M
eneg. Nost. p. 98, t. 13, f. 2. Rabh. Alg. iii. 37. Rabh.
Exs. No. 388. Hass. Alg . p. 320, t. 81, f. 2. Kirch. Alg.
Schl. p. 111.
On moist ground, trunks, moss, &c.
“ The fronds of various sizes, rarely surpassing the head of a pin, of
a subsphaerioal form, aggregated in considerable quantity, cover the
stems of mosses with a pulverulent blackish-green stratum, which
Agardh first well delineated. The granules, in the beginning solitary,
here and there affixed, subsphserioal, or slightly angular, scarcely equal
in their greatest diameter 1-500th mm.; gradually they increase in size,
and when they have arrived at the 1-200th mm. they manifest an internal
granular substance ; at a later period having acquired a form
exactly spherical, the internal substance is seen aggregated or collected
into the centre, and the granules surrounded by a pellucid margin.
Again, they increase in size, and the interior granules are seen converted
into vesicles filled with lesser granules. These vesicles increased
in number and magnitude, tho greatest dimensions of the frond
being attained, occupy its entire substance, and at length the diaphanous
margin disappears. The whole frond is then constituted of vesicles
closely heaped together, and enclosing grannies in the centre. The
primitive membrane, enclosing in its midst the interwoven or cellular
structure, is so closely united with the peripheral stratum of vesicles,
that it can in no way be separated from it. The last development having
been accomplished, the peripheral stratum of vesicles altogether
loosens its granules ; whether these disappear by absorption or escape
outwardly, I have never been able to perceive. In this manner the
frond again obtains a diaphanous margin, but different from that with
which, in the beginning, it was surrounded.”—Meneghini.
Plate XI. fig. 3. a, thallns magnified 400; I, cells further magnified.
Genus 9. FA LM O S IC TY O N . Ktz. (1845.)
Cells oval or globose, with a very thick gelatinous integument,
united into a filiform thallus, which is connate or anastomoses
in various ways. Cell division simple or double (decussate).
Propagation by zoogonidia from the ultimate generation
of cells.
rALMELLACBÆ. 15
F a lm od ic ty on v iiid e . Kutz. Tab. Phy. l. i. 31,/. 1.
Thallus mucous, irregularly reticulate, about the thickness
of a hair, greenish ; cells biserial, with a very thick homogenous
tegument.
S i z e . Cells without tegument, '0075-'009 mm., with the
tegument-025--04 mm. (Rabh.).
Rabh. Alg. iii. 37. Kutz. Phy. Germ. p . 155.
In ditches, canals, &o., attached to stones, twigs, &c.
Recently found by Mr. B. Parfitt near Exeter, of w'hich he gives the
following account :—“ The plant, where it has safiicient room to develope
itself, spreads over the bottom, in water about six inches deep ; beyond
this it comes in contact with Jilodes canadensis, over which it creeps, and
extends its growth from branch to branch into deeper water. In this
extension it has first the appearance of a Conferva, which I at first took
it to be ; but the moment I touched it, after taking some from the
water, I found from the soft slimy feel that if a Conferva it was new to
me, and the microscope soon revealed the trne character. When the
plant grows on the bottom it shows one continuons green membrane,
stretched tight over the bottom, but when it comes in contact with other
plants it throws out filaments, the thickness of which is difficult to make
out on account of their adhesive nature ; for wherever they touch it is
matter of impossibility to separate them. The membrane forming the
filaments is structureless, but the sphærioal cells, which form more or
less moniliform threads, sometimes running in parallel lines, at other
times forming an irregular net-work on the inside of the filaments.
These cells sometimes divide into two portions, at others into four, and
in most of the mature cells may be observed four cellules.”—Qrevillea,
iii., p. 29.
Plate VIII. fig . 2. a, portion magnified 200 diam. ; 5, fragment
magnified 400 diam.
F a lm o d ic ty o n ru fe sc en s. Kutz Spec. 234.
Is usually referred here on the faith of the remark by Kutzing, that it
was found at Aberdeen by Dr. Dickie. Upon enquiry of Dr. Dickie we
learn that he knows nothing of the species. He says, “ Falmodictyon
rufescens is unknown to me, many years have passed since I corresponded
with Lenormand, and I do not remember receiving any note
from him regarding it. Kutzing (Spec. 234) is responsible for the name.
I cannot find in my collection anything so named, neither do I remember
where the so-oalled material was collected.” Under these cir-
onmstanoes it is useless repeating the name in connection with British
G en u s 10. TETB.ASFORA. Link. (1810)
Thallus gelatinous, membratious, or submembranous, in the
beginning a short sac, afterward expanded; cells globose or
angular, more or less distant, but associated in a single stratum
into large families. Tegument thick, very rapidly diffluent into
a homogenous mucous. Division in two directions in the same
plane.