I:
A. Fig, 1. C o n fe r v a M e l a g o n iu m ; some filaments:—o f the
2. Portion of a filament;—magnijied.
P l a t e XCIX. B.
CONFERVA ÆREA, Billw.
C o n fe rv a area.; root scutate, filaments elongated, setaceous, tufted,
straight, harsh, brittle, yellow-green ; articulations about as long as
broad.
C o n fe rv a ærea , Billw. Conf. t . 8 0 . B. Bot. t . 1 9 2 9 . Lgiujb. Hyd. Ban.
p . 1 4 7 . t . 5 1 . Ag. Syst. p . 1 0 0 . Haro, in Hooh. Br. M. vol. ii. p . 3 6 4 .
Harv. in Mack. Bl. Hib. p a r t 3. p . 2 2 6 . Harv. Man. p . 1 3 0 . Wyatt, Alg.
Banm. no . 1 9 1 . Mont. Canar. p . 1 8 4 . J. Ag. Alg. Medit. p . 1 2 . Kütz.
Phyc. Gen. p . 2 5 8 .
C o n f e r v a an te n n in a . Bory, Bict. Class, t. 4 . p . 3 9 2 .
H a b . On sand-covered rocks, between tide marks. Frequent in many
Geoge. D iste. Found on aU the Atlantic coasts of Europe ; also in the Medi-
ten-anean. Canary Islands.
Desce. Pilaments attached by a scutate base, three to twelve inches in
length, as thick as bristles, harsh to the touch, but much less rigid
than C. Melagonium, straight, densely tufted, of a beautiful yeUow-green
colour, which fades, in the Herbarium, to a greenish-white. Articulations
about as long as broad, or a little longer, their contents at length separating
into two portions. Bissepiments slightly contracted.
This is one of the many species of Conferva first brought to
the notice of botanists in the excellent monograph of Dillwyn,
where a correct figure is given of it. It appears to be generaUy
diffused throughout the Atlantic, extending even within the
tropics. It is always a more tufted plant than C. Melagonium,
paler in colour, of scarcely half the diameter, and, though harsh,
far less rigid and quite unable to support itself when removed
from the water.
B. Fig. 1 . Conferva ærea ; a tuft -.— o f the
rent filaments :—magnijied.
size, 3 . P o r tio n o f diffe