Nervus vkæ viribus præcipuc inilruftus eft ; namque ab ilio, foliácea abrupta parte, nova frons ña-
lim incipit pullulare. Multùm variât hæc fpecies. Gmelinus re£iiftimè obfervavit charaflerem fpecifi-
cum confiftere in bullis fuis et in verrucis fruftiferis terminalibus : caufafque mere accidentales effe, cur
illa modo inflatam, modo divaricatam, vel alitèr coiifpiciendam fe præbeat.
Color olivaceo-vel-luteo-viret.
F U C U S veficulofus.
Bladder Fucus or Sea Oak.
Sp e c if ic C h a r . F ron d * flat ribbed entire veflcular: with tubercles containing
feeds, included in diftended fummits.
FUCUS. fronde plana dichotoma coftata integerrima, veficulis axillaribus geminis :
terminalibus tuberculatis. Linn. Syfi. Nat. Edit. Gmd. f . 1380.— Gmd. HiJl.
Fucor. p. 60.— FI. Scot. p. 904.
This fucus, in its earlieft ftate, confifts o f a fingle leaf, and grows on the furfaces o f rocks and
fhells. Its bafe appears like a thin glutinous fubftance, ftrongly adhefive to the body on which it is
fixed In the further ftages of its growth, the foliaceous part is frequently worn away by the force
of the furge, and the middle rib or nerve acquires all the appearance o f a folid fiem, being entirely
bare and nearly cylindrical, for the fpace o f half a foot or more above the bafe. The frond in the
mean time continues increafmg in a dichotomous mode o f growth, to a confiderable extent, furniihed
with numerous branches. It has alfo air-bladders for the purpofe o f buoyancy; and at length terminates
with diftended fummits, containing a tough gelatinous mafs, around which a number o f callous
globular tubercles are fixed to the interior fide (as reprefented in the largeft horizontal feSionj.t each o f
which is furniihed with many feeds. When the plant arrives at maturity, the mafs becomes mucilaginous,
and by the help of glafies appears to be enveloped with fine capillary veffels, irregularly
reticulated. At this period, feveral fmall punHurcs or perforations are frequently vifible on
the furface of the fummit, and the tubercles now have a more prominent appearance. This latter
circumftance is in fome meafure owing to the diflblved ftate o f the gelatinous fubftance. Each puncture
is fubtended by the upper part o f its refpeSive tubercle, and is no doubt the channel, through
which the fources o f propagation are difperfed.
A fpecimen o f this fucus in its laft ftage o f maturity and approaching to decay, being examined;
the capillary veffels in the fummit were found to be afperfed with a fubftance not unlike the farina o f a
plant. In order to difcover the caufe o f this appearance, a fingle tubercle detached from the fummit,
was placed under the microfcope, and cautlouffy prefled with a fine inftrument; when one o f the
minute grains contained within it was feen to explode, and with an elaftic force feemed to difcharge
a pulverized fubftance, fomewhat fimilar to the particles which proceed from a Lycoperdon. The extreme
minutenefs of the objeas defeated all attempts to profecute the experiment. And we are not
authorized upon an accidental appearance to aftert that the particles in queftion tvere analogous to
FUCU.S
* The original word Frons has been frequently introduced in the preceding trail, as wc have not an EDglifli one in common ufe, exprcflive of the
mcaniiij;, which Linneus has aftlxcd 10 it. Wc find it explained, in the admirable work which ProfclTor Martyn has publiflicd upon the
Language of BOTANY—aa n irntf of trunk orjlem, which has the branch united with the leaf, and frequently with the JruBiJicaUon. Imhetranr-
laiion of the fpccific charaaers into EngUfli, the term Frond is fubftituicd under ilic fanaion of the abovc-incmioned author.
feeds 1
+ See T. I. Fig. 3.