A . Fig. 1. P o l y s ip h o n ia ob scu ra ; part of a p a t c h 0/ the natural size. 2.
Portion of a creeping filament:—moderately magnified. 3. Portion of a
branch. 4. Cross section of the same:—both highly magnified.
i
:f 1;.
Ill j ;
P l a t e CII. B.
POLYSIPHONIA PULVINATA, Spreng.
P olysiphonia pulvinata ; filaments rising from a mass of creeping fibres,
tufted and interwoven, short, very slender, flexuous, sparingly and
irregularly dichotomous, more or less furmshed with very patent or recurved,
simple ramuli ; articulations of the main branches three or
four times as long as broad, of the ramuli very short, four-tubed ;
capsules urn-shaped, stalked.
P o l y s ip h o n ia p u lv in a ta , Spreng.
Veg. vol. iv . p . 3 5 0 . / . Ag. Alg.
Medit. p . 1 2 4 . Mont. El. Ci
p . 1 7 2 . Endl. 3rd Suppl. p . 4 4 .
Harv. Man. p . 9 4 . Wyatt, Alg.
n o . 2 1 5 .
P o l y s ip h o n ia m ao ro c a rp a , Harv. in Mack. El. Hib. p a r t 3 . p . 2 9 6 .
H u t c h in s ia p u lv in a ta , Ag. Sp. Alg. vol. ii. p . 1 0 9 .
Co n p e k v a p u lv in a ta , ELofh. Cat. vol. i. p . 1 8 7 . t . 3 . f. 4 . vol. ii. p . 3 1 4 .
H a b . On rocks in the sea, between tide marks. Annual. Not uncommon.
Miltown Malbay, W. H. II. Port Stewart, Mr. D. Moore. Ilfracombe
and Torbay, Mrs. Griffiths. Salcombe, Lands-End and Mount’s
Bay, Mr. Ralfs. Balbriggan, Miss Oower. Saltcoats, Mr. B . ’
7,— Ardrossan, Major Martin.
G e o g k . D is t k . Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of Europe. Canaiy Islands.
D e s c r . Eilaments rising from creeping fibres, densely aggregated in roundish,
fastigiate tufts, about an inch in height, very slender and flaccid, flexuous,
irregularly branched; branches more or less dichotomous, furmshed
irregularly with scattered, alternate or now and then secund, very patent,
or divaricating, shoi-t ramuli, which are mostly simple, occasionally
subdivided. Artieulatiom variable in length; those of the main divisions
three to four times, of the lesser branches twice or thrice, and of
the ramuli half as long as broad, aU marked with two broad, coloured
bands, and composed of fom- tubes radiating round a central cavity. Capsules
large in proportion to the diameter of the filaments from which they
spring, m-n-shaped, with a contracted orifice, borne on short lateral stalks.
Tetraspores imbedded in the ramuli in a single row. Colour a dark red-
brown. Substance soft and somewhat gelatinous, closely adhering to paper.
This resembles P. urceolata in miniature, but has the soft
substance of P. fihrata, and is a much more slender plant.
B. Eig. 1 . P o l y s ip h o n ia p u l v in a t a ; a tu f t:—o f i size. 3. Portion
of a filament:—moderately magnijied. 3. A ramulus with
4. Portion of a branch, with capsule. 5. Transverse section of a branch:
all highly i