F U C U S sarniensis.
Guernsey Fucus.
CRYP TOGAMIA Algae.
Gen. Char. Seeds produced in clustered tubercles,
which burst at their summits.
Spec. Char. Frond somewhat cartilaginous, flat, nerveless,
palmate, wavy, proliferous at the edges: segments
linear. Tubercles spherical, immersed.
Syn. Fucus sarniensis. Turn. Hist. Fucor. v. 1. 9 5 .
t. 4 4 .
COMMUNICATED by Mr. Turner, who received it from
Dublin bay, by means of the late Dr. Scott. It has been described
in the 3d vol. of Roth’s Catalecta by Prof. Mertens,
who having obtained his specimens from Guernsey gave it
the above name ; and to that able writer, Mr. Turner, as well
as ourselves, are indebted for all we know of the fructification,
which he describes and figures as roundish black immersed
tubercles, the size of poppy seed. Mutilated specimens, it
seems, have heretofore been found cast on the British coasts,
but in too imperfecta condition for accurate determination.
The colour is purplish, very fugitive; brownish in a dry
state. Its general habit approaches to F. palmatus, 1 .1306,
but the whole form is still more truly palmate, the segments
more linear, and #avy, with an appearance of shallow unequal
teeth here and there at the edges, in which part also
they are often proliferous. The extremities are either acute,
jagged, or abrupt; the base tapering and narrow, proceeding
from a small callous disk. The substance of the frond is
minutely dotted, but not at all reticulated.
Mr. Turner observes that the frond easily splits into two
membranes, and is occasionally found perforated here and
there with small oblong holes.