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iii
Ser. C h l o r o s p e r m b æ . Fam. Ulvaceoe.
P l a t e CCCXXXV.
ENTEROMORPHA COMPRESSA, Grev.
G en . C h a r . Frond tubular, membranaceous, of a green colour and reticulated
structure. Fructification, granules, commonly in fours,
contained in tlie cellules of the frond. E n t e r o m o r p h a {Link),—from
(vrcpov, an entrail, and poprj)r], fo rm or -
E n t e r o m o r p h a compressa ; fronds elongated, branched, cylindrical, or subcompressed;
the branches simple, or nearly so, long, obtuse, much
attenuated at the base.
E nteromorpha compressa, Grev. J ig . Brit. p. 180. tab. xviü. Hook. Br. FI.
vol. ii. p. 314. Harv. Man. ed. 1. p. 174. ed. 3. p. 213. Harv. in Mack.
FI. H é . part 3. p. 343. Wyatt, Alg. Banm. No. 165. Kiitz. Sp. Alg.
p. 480.
SoLENiA compressa, Ag. Syst. Alg. p. 186.
F istularia compressa, Grev. FI. Edin. p. 800.
U lva compressa, Linn. FI. Suec. p. 433. LigUf. FI. Scot. vol. ii. p. 969. Ag.
Sp.Alg. vol. i. p. 430. Sm.E . Bot. i . 2139.
I lea compressa, Gaill. Diet. Sc. Nat. vol. iii. p. 873.
SOYTOSIPHON compressus, Lyngh. Hyd. Dan. p. 64. t. 15. A. B.
Conferva compressa, Roth, Cat. Bot. vol. i. p. 161.
H a b . On rocks, stones, and woodwork in the sea between tide-marks, in
æstuaries, &c. Annual. Vegetates at all seasons. Excessively
common.
Geoge. D is t r . Generally diffused throughout temperate and tropical latitudes,
in both hemispheres.
D e scr. Root a small disc. Fronds tufted, or clothing wide spaces of rock, from
an inch to six or twelve inches long or more, sometimes as fine as hair,
sometimes half an inch or more in breadth, extremely variable in aspect and
in ramification. The wider specimens are often but slightly branched,
having a principal stem furnished with several, frregularly inserted, long
and simple lateral branches ; the narrower individuals are repeatedly divided ;
their branches bearing one or more sets of lesser branches ; and other varieties
have the branches, or the whole plant, clothed on all sides with
slender capillary ramuli. All the liranches, and their divisions, taper greatly
toward the base, and the apices are generaUy blunt. The tube is more or
less strongly compressed in most cases, but some of the wider varieties are
infiated, in which case they can only be known from E. intestinalis by being
branched. The colour is a beautifully brilliant green, and the surface glossy
as silk. The substance is membranous, and adheres but imperfectly to
paper.