useless as a representation of its natural habit; secondly, because
Mr, Ilassall, in his recent work, considers C.Brownii to bo merely
a “ condition of C. glomerata,” aiising “ from the subimmersed
habitat in which it grows.” This opinion I cannot but regard
as being too hasty, especially in an author who had never seen
this remarkable plant growing. It is a mere assumption, for
there is no evidence to show any passage from the one form
into the other; and the forms themselves are so broadly distinguished
that the most casual observer could not confound them.
The habit of Cladophora Brownii is, as I have long since said,
completely that of Vaucheria terrestris; a habit admirably expressed
in Mr. Brown’s MS. name “pulmnata”. Such is very
difierent from the sprayey branching of C. glomerata; and if
this character be regarded as valueless, we must be prepared to
unite a host of other species with C. glomerata. But, setting
aside habit, the rigid and tough substance of C. Brownii distinguishes
it, even in fragments, from every form of C. glomerata
that I have seen. The “ Prince of Botanists”, who first detected
and described it, and whose name it bears, may be allowed to be
good authority in this matter. He examined the plant in a
recent state; so have I done; and so, more lately, has Mr. Ralfs ;
and we are agreed in pronouncing it a perfectly distinct species,
at least as well characterized as any other specific form in the
genus Cladophora, and better characterized than several reputed
species. I hope the figure now given, and which is a faithful
representation of the growing plant, wiU show that we have some
grounds for om' opinion.
Cladophora Brotvnii appears to be peculiar to the British
Islands, and, so far as I know, has only been found in the
stations above given. At Wicklow, I observed it first in 1833 ;
and in 1842, when I next visited tbe station, the plant was still
to be found, though not in so luxuriant a state, probably from
some failure in the supply of moisture.
Fig. 1. Cladophora B eownii :— natural size. 3. 3. Filaments removed. 4. Por-
tion of a iilameiit:— all more or less magnijied.
I