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BERKELEYA f r a g i l i s
Fragile Berkeleya.
C l a s s a n d O r d e r CRYPTOGAMIA ALGÆ, W - N a t . O r d . ALGÆ, Jm s .
G E N E R IC C H A R A C T E R .
Fila simplicia, gelatinosa, granulis oblongis includentia, basi in massa subro.
lunda, gelatinosa immersa, apice libera.
Filaments simple, gelatinous, containing oblong granules, immersed at the
base in a roundish gelatinous mass, the extremities free.
S P E C I F IC C H A R A C T E R .
Berkeleva fragilis ; ..............................
G loionema fragilis, Carm. MSS.
H ab. Parasitic on Zostera marina ; also on Furcellaria fastigiala, and other
small algæ ; spring. Appin, Captain Carmichael.
Plant o f a reddish-brown colour, and roundish or oval form, consisting of
a rather firm gelatinous mass or receptacle, less than h a lf an inch in diameter,
and a number of filaments which seem to spring from its surface.
This gelatinous receptacle is firmly attached to the plant on which it
grows, sometimes surrounding the small branches of Furcellaria fasii-
giata. The filaments are immersed for h a lf their length in the receptacle,
their extremities being free. They are gelatinous, exceedingly
tender and fragile, simple, attenuated towards the apex, apparently destitute
o f external membrane, and containing a number of oblong or
rather fusiform granules, arranged longitudinally, b u t without order.
The highly curious alga which forms the subject of the
preseut description, is certainly nearly allied to Monema; and
though the filaments seem to want an external membrane, yet
the escape of the granules at the extremity, when a filament is
divided, seems to favour the idea that a membrane really exists;
the granules are besides arranged without order. With the te^
nacious gelatinous filaments of Gloionema, containing a single
series of granules, our plant cannot accord; still less does it agree
with the fasciculated filaments of Schizonema or Hydrurus,
VOL. V.