s<J [ 1611 ]
CONFERVA pectinalis.
Short-jointed, Conferva.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga:.
G e n . C h a r . Seeds produced in round, solitary, closed
tubercles, projecting from the frond, but united
with it.
S p e c . C h a r . Green. Filaments brittle, slippery, unbranched,
tapering, compressed. Joints three times
as broad as they are long, their central part opaque.
S y n . Conferva pectinalis. Dillw. Conf. t. 2 4 .
C. bronchialis. Roth. Catalect. v. 1. 185.
F o r specimens of this curious Conferva we are indebted to
Mr. W. Borrer, who found them at Hurst Pierpoint, Sussex,
growing on decayed leaves in ditches in the month of March.
It is a very minute species, the stems being not above half
an inch long, and from a thousandth to a four hundredth part
of an inch in diameter, tapering gradually to a point, and
compressed, not cylindrical. The joints are remarkably short,
their breadth being full thrice as much as their length. They
are pellucid and colourless except in their central part, which
when fresh is occupied, as in other species of this tribe, with
opaque green matter, in the form of an oblong transverse spot.
These spots begin to break, or totally disappear, soon after
the plant is taken from the water. Mr. Sowerby observed the
situation of this green matter as we have described it, which is
analogous to its appearance in other species, but Mr. Dillwyn
found it lodged near the transverse partitions of the joints.
Dr. Roth’s description does not help us to remove this difficulty.