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M O N EM A QÜADRIPÜNCTATÜIVX.
Common Monema.
C l a s s a n d O b d e i i CRYPTOGAMIA ALGÆ, Linn— 'S at:- O b d . A LGÆ , Juss.
GENERIC character.
Fila libera, continua, tubulata capillaria, granula oblonga vel subelliptica indu-
dentia.
Filaments free, continuous, tubular, capillary, containing oblong or subelliptical
granules.
SPECIFIC cha racter.
M onema q u a d rip u n c ta tum ; Jilis ramosis, coespitosis, gramdis oblongis primo
matrice hyalina i-aggregatis, demum sparsis, distinctis.
M. filaments branched, tufted, the g ranules^blong, at first united b y fours
in a hyaline receptacle, at length scattered, distinct.
S c h iz o n em a quadripunctatum, Ag. Syst. Alg. p. 10.—Carm. MSS.
B a n g ia q u a d rip u n c ta ta , Lyngb. Hydroph. Han. p. 86. t. 26.
H ad. On small stones, &c. in the sea. Appin, Captain Carmichael. Frith
of Forth.
Tufts flaccid, entangled, 1-3 inches in length. Filaments continuous, very
slender, irregularly or somewhat dichotomously branched, attenuated at
the extremity, of a dull yellowish or brownish-green colour, shining
when dried. Granules in the young state in groups of four together,
each group placed in a star-like manner in the centre of a transparent
oval matrix or receptacle, and appearing like four dots, whence the
specific name. In advancing towards maturity, the little receptacles
enlarge, and grow somewhat quadrate : th e ir contents, from a globular
form, become ovate. A t length the granules often assume a longitudinal
direction in the receptacles, two being arranged end to end on
each side, and in this manner sometimes escape from th e filament. But
more frequently the receptacles divide either longitudinally into two
portions, or, by a transverse division also, into four, setting the oblong
full-sized granules at liberty. In the same filament, numerous arrangements
of the granules occur, as they are more o r less independent, and
associated in their progress towards some outlet. Substance o f th e filaments
thin, membranous, tenacious.
Notwithstanding The labours of A g a r d h and of L y n g b
y e , the minute and obscure tribes of Algæ require much in