C O N F E R V A spiralis.
Combined Spiral Conferva.
CRYPTOGAMIA Algae,
Gen. C h a r . Seeds produced in round, solitary, closed
tubercles, projecting from the frond, but united
with it.
Si'ec. Char. Light green. Filaments unbranched,
slender, slippery. Joints a little swelling, longer
than broad. Colouring matter in spiral lines.
Syn. Conferva spiralis. Roth. Catal. v. 2 . 202. Dillw.
Corf. t. 3 ; also t. 4 . f . A, B , according to Mr. J .
Woods.
ISlOT u n f re q u e n t, a c c o rd in g to Mr. W. B orre r an d Mr. J.
W o o d s , in fresh w a te r in th e sp r in g , th o u g h o f sh o r t d u rat
io n . I t g rows in dense m as se s, o f ra th e r a lig h t g re en . T h e
filam en ts a re a n in c h o r tw o lo n g , u n b ra n c h e d , f rom th e 7 0 0 th
to th e 5 0 0 th o f a n in c h in d iam e te r ; w h e n magnified th ey
a p p e a r a lm o s t w h ite , sp o tted w ith green in a cu rio u s m a n n e r ,
e ach jo in t wh en y o u n g b e in g m a rk e d with a spiral lin e , a p p
a ren tly o f g ra in s o r seeds, w h ic h a fte rwa rds u n ite in to a n
o b lo n g m a s s . T h e jo in t s are c o n sid e rab ly lo n g e r th a n b road •
even w h e n y o u n g ; sw e llin g a little wh en o ld. But as th é
p la n t advanc es in age a m ore s in g u la r c h an g e h ap p en s . T h e
filaments be come y o ked to g e th e r, th e ir jo in t s p ro tru d in g late
ra lly so as to u n ite b y a slen d er tu b e , and M. V a u c h e r has
observed th e in te rn a l g re en m a tte r to pass th ro u g h th is tu b e
f rom one to th e o th e r . T h is p h a sn om en o n is com m o n to
several species be sides, comp reh en d ed by th a t w r ite r u n d e r
th e te rm conjugate. We c a n n o t w ith c e r ta in ty reduce o u r
p re s e n t p la n t to a n y o n e o f h is .
OrtJ.iSod.T: