:i I
distinguished by the nniform production of short ramuli along
all its branches, which thus have the appearance, under the
microscope, of budding rods ; the hitter known by having a
few longish ramuli crowded towards the axils of the branches,
while the rest of the branch is bare. But I am sorry to say
that in practice I find it hy no means easy to distinguish these
supposed species. It is true that there is no lack of specimens,
which ai'e thus clearly distinguishable ; but then, on the other
hand, there is no lack of intermediate forms, such as bear the
names C. secimdatim and C. lanuginosmi ; C. luxurians, J. Ag. ;
C.m.irahile,YlAi'L.-, C.minutissimmnfi\A\Y.; C.Lenormandi, Suhr.;
and probably others enumerated by Kützing. So that once we
admit two species among these parasites, the door is opened to a
dozen. It was for this reason that in the last edition of the
Manual I proposed to reduce the four British forms described
in ‘ British Flora ’ to one, retaining for it the name Daviesii. To
this decision I have received some earnest protests, particularly,
from Mrs. Griffiths, and in deference to this “ pressure from
without ” I so far deviate from the line I had prescribed to
myself, as to figure the typical C. virgatulum ; at the same time
that I retain my opinion respecting its close affinity— if no
more—to C. Daviesii.
Fig. 1. Portion of a frond of Ceramium rubrum infested with C.a l l ith am n io n
viiiGATULUM :— Ihe natural size. 2. Fronds of Cal. mrgatulum :—magmfied.
3. Part of a fertile branch, 4. Apex of the same, with tetraspores ;—more
or less highly magnified.