FUCUS capillaris.
Red Capillary Fucus.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
G e n . C h a r . Seeds produced in clustered tubercles,
which burst at their summits.
S p e c . C h a r . Frond red, somewhat gelatinous, threadshaped,
very much branched: ultimate segments
awlshaped, short, crowded, imperfectly two-ranked.
Seeds imbedded in some of the segments.
S y n . F ucus capillaris. Huds. 5 9 1 . With. v. 4. 115.
Hull. 3 2 9 . Gooden. & Woodui. Tr. o f Linn. Soc.
v. 3. 2 3 1 , note. Turn. Syn. 3 7 0 . Hist. Fucor. v. 1.
65. t. 31. __________
W e are obliged to Sir Thomas Frankland for specimens of
this rare plant, collected on the Scarborough coast. By his
authority, decisive in such a case, it is declared to be F. capillaris
of Hudson, a species concerning which all other botanists
have been in doubt. Even Mr. Turner has been in the same
predicament; but besides specimens from Sir T. Frankland,
he has received some from Anglesea, equally authenticated by
another correspondent of Mr. Hudson, the Rev. H. Davies.
This is a beautiful species, of a fine pink or crimson colour,
and gelatinous substance, jointed like Rivularia Opuntia,
t. 1868, and consisting of several fronds from one small callous
base, each 8 or 10 inches high, threadshaped, much and repeatedly
branched; the chief branches longest in the middle
part of the frond, often nearly opposite; the subordinate ones
mostly alternate, and, according to Hudson, inclined to be
2 -ranked. The latter are very numerous and delicate, tapering
at their base and summit, sometimes observed by Mr. Turner
to lodge a row of red seeds in their centre. We observe some
brownish lateral or imbedded warts, but dare not aver them
to be any part of the fructification. This species is found in
the summer, and presumed to be annual.