p u u d c c u m .
P l a t e CCLVIII.
ECTOCARPUS LONCIFRUCTUS, Harv.
G e n . C h a r . Filaments capillary, jointed, olivaceous or brown, flaccid,
without longitudinal striæ. E m it either spherical or elliptical, external
or imbedded spores ; or lanceolate, linear, or conical silicules
(pod-like bodies) ; or granular masses formed in consecutive cells of
the branches. E c t o c a r p u s [Lyngb.),—from cktos, sapms, external
fr u it.
E c t o c a r p u s longifruetus-, tufts large, branching, the divisions feathery;
filaments robust, excessively branched, branches mostly opposite, the
lesser ones set with short, spine-like, opposite or rarely alternate
ramuli; articulations as long as broad; silicules very long, linear-
lanceolate, attenuate, densely striate transversely, terminating the
principal branches and ramuli.
E ctocarpus longifruetus, Harv. Man. Fd. 2. p. 61.
H a h . Parasitical on Algæ between tide-marks. Skaill, Orkney, Mrs.
Moffatt.
D e s o b . Tufts six or eight inches long, much branched and feathery. Filaments
robust, not much entangled, excessively divided, the branches and ramuli
veiy generally opposite, sometimes alternate, spreading at wide angles. The
smaller branches are furnished with numerous, opposite or alternate, short,
spine-like ramuli, and mostly end in the very long silicules which are so
striking a feature in this plant. These silicules are very much longer than
the branchlet that bears them, and taper from the base to the apex, which
is very acute or acuminate : they are closely netted with longitudinal and
transverse lines. Articulations of the stem and branches about as long as
broad, or a little longer. Colour, a greenish olive. I t closely adheres to
paper in drying.
I here figure an Ectocarpus from Orkney nearly related to
E. litoralis, rather than to E. siliculosus, and differing chiefly in
the greater luxuriance of the frond, and the different form of the
fructification. The fructification of our present plant, however,
must be regarded more as an exaggeration of that of E. litoralis
than as essentially different. In E. litoralis the apices of the
branches grow out beyond the portion converted into fructification,
and the latter therefore appears as if it were immersed in
L.imj,