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red-brown in drying. Substance when young, extremely soft and flaccid,
most closely adhering to paper ; when old, rigid, and coarse, with squarrose
ramelli.
One of the handsomest of the British species of this extensive
genus, especially when young, at which period the whole plant is
of the softest substance and most delicate rosy-red colour. In
some respects this species connects the genera Polysiphonia and
Basya, for here, although the tetrasporic fruit is altogether that
of a true Polysiphonia, the habit of the frond is that of Basya;
the byssoid ramelli of this species being identical with those
found in the Basya. These ramelli appear to be also of the
same nature as the fibres found terminating the young branches
of other Polysiphonia, as well as Phodomela, &c., and are probably
to be regarded as leaves in a very imperfect state of development.
In other species they are only found on young parts,
and appear to be actively engaged in the growth of the part on
which they are found; but in P . byssoides they exist at every
period, and on all parts of the froud. On old plants or old
branches, however, they lose much of their delicacy, and become
hai’sh and squarrose.
Eig. 1. P o l y s i p h o n i a b y s s o i d e s :— the natural size. 2. Portion of the frond,
with capsules. 3. Branchlet with tetraspores. 4. A tetraspore. 5. One of
the byssoid ramelli. 6. Transverse section of the stem -.— all
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