Ser. R hodospekme* . Earn. Ehoicrmelea.
P l a t e CCLXIV.
RHODOMELA SUBFUSCA, Ag.
G e n . C h a r . Frond filiform, solid, m u ch b ran ch ed , in a rticu la te , re tic u la te d ;
th e axis composed of co ncentric layers of oblong, hyaline c e lls ; th e
p e rip h e ry of several rows of m in u te , irreg u la r, coloured cellules.
Fructijication, 1, ovate capsules [ceramidia'), co n ta in in g a tn f t of pear-
shaped s p o r e s ; 3, tetraspores immersed in swollen ramuli, or conta
in ed in p ro p e r pod-Hke receptacles [stichidia) in a single or double
row. R h o d om e la (rf^ .),— b om po&eos, red, anA jic\as. Mack; because
th e species u su ally become d a rk e r in drying.
R hodomela suhfusca; frond filiform, much branched; the branches irregularly
divided, clothed with pinnated branchlets, and subulate, simple
scattered or fasciculate ramuli; pinnules subulate; tetraspores contained
either in the somewhat swollen ultimate ramuli (in summer),
or in proper branching stichidia (produced in winter).
R h o d o m e l a s u h fu s c a . J g . Sp. Alg. vol. i. p. 3 7 8 . Ag. Syst. p. 1 9 9 . Spreng.
Syst. Veg. vol. iv. p. 3 4 3 . Grev. Alg. Brit. p . 1 9 3 . Hook. Br. M. vol. ii.
p. 3 9 4 . Wyatt, Alg. Damn. no. 1 1 1 . Harv. in Mack. PI. Hib. p a r t 3.
p . 1 9 7 . Harv. Man. ed. 3 . p . 7 9 . Pndl. Zrd Suppl. p . 4 7 .
L o p h u r a c ym o s a , Kiitz. Phyc. Gen. p . 4 3 5 .
G ig a e t in a s u h fu s c a , Lamour. JEss. p . 4 8 . Lyngb. Hyd. D a n .p .A l.i.V ) .
Grev. FI. Fdiu. p . 3 8 9 .
SpH*EOCOCCCS subfuscus. Hook. FI. Scot. part 3. p. 104.
Eucus subfuscus, Woodw. in Linn. Trans, vol. i. p. 131. t. 13. Good, and
Woodw. Linn. Trans, vol. iii. p. 313. Turn. Syn. Fuc. p. 350. Turn. Hist.
1 .10. F. Bot. i .lW i i . Esper, Ic. Fuc. YoX.ii. p.
Euous confervoides, Huds. PI. Ang. p. 591.
Eucus variabilis. Good, and Woodw. Linn. Trans, vol. iii. p. 330.
Eocus setaceus, Wulf. Crypt. Aguat. no. 40.
H ab. On rocks and shells, in pools between tide marks; sometimes on the
larger Alg®. Biennial or perennial. Spring and summer. Generally
dispersed round the coast.
G e o g e . D i s t e . Atlantic shores of Europe and North America.
D e s c e . Root a small thin disc. Fronds generally tufted, from three to twelve
inches in length, varying greatly in diameter, sometimes not thicker than
hogs’ bristle, sometimes twice or four times as thick, tapering upwards,
cylindrical, much branched. Branches long and vfrgate, sometimes undivided,
sometimes forked, mostly alternate, imperfectly distichous, or spirally
placed, well furnished, in summer, with alternate lateral secondary branches.
These secondary branches are sometimes long, and repeatedly pinnate, sometimes
short and simply pinnate; sometimes they are absent altogether, and
their place supplied by numerous, scattered or clustered, awl-shaped, simple
ramuli. These ramuli are rarely absent on the lower parts of the branches