FUCUS pygmæus.
Pigmy Fucus.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
G e n . C h a r . Seeds produced in clustered tubercles,
which burst at their summits.
S pec . C h a r . Frond cartilaginous, forked, dilated and
palmate at the top. Tubercles globose, terminal,
perforated at their summits.
Syn. Fucus pygmseus. Lighlf. 9 6 4 . t. 32. Turn.
Syn. 2 5 8 . With. v. 4 . 100.
F. pumilus. Huds. 5 8 4 .
F. lichenoides. Gooden. & Woodw. T r. o f Linn.
Soc. v. 3. 192. Hull. 3 2 4 .
Lichen saxatilis maritimus muscosus minimus nigerri-
mus. Mich. Gen. 103.
G a t h e r e d on the Cornish coast. It is also found in
Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Scotland and the Hebrides. We
have observed it about Leith and New Haven, growing on
rocks generally washed by high tides.
Its Slack crowded fronds form large patches, visible at a distance,
and sometimes clothing the rocks to a considerable
extent. They are firmly’fixed by a small base, and closely
matted together, upright or spreading, branched, forked, compressed,
dilated and palmate upwards. Their colour is a very
dark purplish green when seen against the light, but otherwise
black; their substance rigid and horny, at least when dry.
The tubercles are terminal, round, with a small perforation at
the top, which gradually enlarges, so that they become concave
shields like those of some gelatinous Lichens. Mr.
Turner’s remark that he never could detect seeds in these tubercles,
which if those of a Fucus would not be very difficult
to find, justifies the suspicion that the plant may be a Lichen.
Some future Hedwig, seizing a fortunate moment, may perhaps
find the proper seeds of that genus in the ripe disk of
these enlarged tubercles.