late Miss Hutchins of Bantry, but notwithstanding the figures
given by Dillwyn, and in English Botany, and its very distinct
characters, it has been much misunderstood. The specimens
published by Mrs. Wyatt, under the name Conferva, tortuosa,
belong, in the copies of her valuable work which I have examined
and, I suspect, in all the others, to our R. riparium. It is a
more slender plant than 0. tortuosa, of a paler colour, and,
above all, distinguished by tbe root-like fibres which issue at
intervals, from the articulations ; and the presence of which
has induced Kiitzing to place it in a separate genus.
I am not certain whether all the synonyms quoted above
belong to this, or to several closely allied species. According
to Prof. Kiitzing there are three or four distinct plants confounded
under the Conferva riparia of authors, a point to
determine which I have not sufficient data at hand. As regards
the specimen now figured, it is at least certain that ours is the
plant of Dillwyn, our figure having been prepared from one of
the original specimens collected by Miss Hutchins.
Fig. 1. R h i z o o l o n i u m R I P A B I U M ; stratum,—o f the natwral size. 2. Filaments
from the same; magnijied. 3. A portion:— more highly magnified.