S j [ 1556 ]
C O N F E R V A velutiua.
Green Velvet Conferva.
CRYPTOGAMId Alga.
G en . Ch a r . Seeds produced in round, solitary, closed
tubercles, projecting from the frond, but united
with it.
Spec. Ch a r . Green. Filaments entangled, upright,
very short and slender, somewhat rigid, alternately
branched. Joints slightly swelling, twice as long
as they are broad.
Syn. Byssus velutina. Linn. Sp. PL 1 6 3 8 . Huds.605.
With. v. 4. 144. Hull. 3 0 7 . Relh. 4 7 5 . Sibth. 3 3 8 .
Abbot. 2 7 6 . Lightf. 1 0 0 1 .
B. tenerrima viridis, velutum referens. Dill, in R aii
Syn. 5 6 . Muse. 7. t. I . f j 14.
M r . DILLWYN has with the greatest- propriety referred
Byssus aurea, see t. 212, to Conferva, on account of its jointed
structure, of which, as far as we know, he is the first discoverer.
Mr. J . D. Sowerby having detected the same structure
in the plant before us, it must be removed to the same genus.
This plant covers the earth in moist shady places with a
most beautiful fine green velvet carpet, diffusing a sweet fragrance
like that of the Jungermannice, not only when growing,
but for some time after it is dried in a herbarium. We have
found it in summer as well as in winter, on shady moist, not
marshy, banks in Yorkshire, Scotland, and other places.
Mr. Borrer found it in Sussex in November. We do not however
believe it to be so common as authors mention. Dillenius
seems, by his quotation of Buddie in Ray’s Synopsis, to have
confounded our C. muralis, t. 1554, with this; and perhaps
others have done so, as they speak of it as common, and yet
do not notice its very remarkable scent. The two plants are
notwithstanding widely different. C. velutin'a has upright,
though very short and entangled, rigid, branched filaments;
with cylindrical joints about twice or thrice as long as they are
broad, and very little swelling.