n
Ser. E h o d o s p e r m e ì k . Fam- Ceramieai.
P l a t e CCLXXXVII.
GRIFFITHSIA SIMPLICIFILUM, Ay.
G e n . Ch a r . Frond rose-red, filamentous ; fllaments jointed tliroughout,
mostly dichotomous; ramuli single tubed; dissepiments hyaline.
Fructification of t-wo kinds, on distinct individuals; 1, tetraspores
affixed to -whorled involucral ramuli; 2, gelatinous receptacles [ fa vellò)
surrounded by an involucre, and containing a mass of minute
angular spores. G r iem t h s ia [A g ) in honour of Mrs. Griffiths, the
most distinguished of British Algologists.
G r ie f it h s ia simplicifilum; stems slender, irregularly branched, whorled
with imbricated, straight, once-forked ramelli.
G e i f f i t h s i a simplicifilum, Ag. Sp. Alg. vol. ii. p. 134. Harv. in Hook. Journ.
Bot. vol. i. p. 301. pi. 139. Harv. in Mack. FI. Hib. part iii. p. 313.
C e r a m i u m s im p l i c i f i l u m , B.C. FI. Gall. Syn. p . 8 .
H a l u r u s simplicifilum, Kiitz. Sp. Alg. p. 663.
H a b . On rocks, &c., near low water-mark, and at a greater depth. Annual.
Very rare. On rocks near Black Castle, Wicklow, and among
rejectamenta at Ardinairy Point, county Wicklow. W. II. I I . Coast
of Norfolk, Rev. W. 8. Hore. Jersey, Miss Turner.
G e o g r . D i s t r . Atlantic shores of France.
D e s o r . Root clothed with matted and tangled fibres. Stem from four to eight
or ten inches long, slender, much and irregularly branched ; the branches
erect, long, straight, vfrgate, closely whorled throughout with short ramelli.
In some specimens the secondary branches are destitute of lateral branches ;
in others they are more or less densely set with short rudimentary
branches, which are sometimes naked below, and having whorled ramelli
above, and sometimes clothed with ramelli throughout. RameUi from one
to three lines in length, slightly imbricated, several in a -wborl; straight,
very erect, mostly forked near tbe base; rarely twice or thrice dichotomous.
Articulations of the branches about thrice as long as broad; of the ramelli
from eight to twelve times as long as broad, having a narrow band of colour
with a wide hyaline border, Fmctificatkm not known, but probably similar
to that of G. equisetifolia. Colour a bright pinky-red, given out quickly
on immersion in fresh water. Substance membranaceous, adhering to paper,
but not very strongly.
The characters by which this plant is to be known from
G. equisetifolia are, the more slender branches, the more distant
and less frequently forked, and straighter ramuli, and the
greater proportionate length of the articulations. Usually the
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