£ 3 [ 1740 ]
CONFERVA mutabilis.
Changeable Gelatinous Conferva.
CRYPTOGAMIA Algce.
Gen. Char. Seeds produced within the substance of
the capillary or jointed frond, or in closed tubercles
united with it.
Spec. Char. Green. Main stems subdivided, almost
colourless. Branches darker, opposite, much
branched, tufted, gelatinous in decay. Joints
broader than lone:.
Sy n . Conferva mutabilis. Roth. Catal. v. 1. 197. § 4.
ƒ . 6. and t. 5 . f 1 . Dillw. Conf. t. 12. Relh. 4 85 .
C. gelatmosa y . Huds. 5 9 8 . W ith. 1 3 5 , var 3
H ull.' 3 3 2 .
C. stagnalis, globulis virescentibus. mucosis. H ill.
Muse, 3 8 . t. 7. f . 4 4 . Turn. T r. o f L . Soc. v. 7 . 1 0 8 .
W e re c e iv ed th is a g r e a t m a n y y e a r s a g o from th e R e v . M r .
E r y a n t o f H e y d o n , N o r f o lk , b y th e n am e o f “ C. hypnoides
o t S ir J o s ep h B a n k s , an d w e h a v e sp e c im en s f r om S w i t z e r la
n d , g a th e red b y M . D u C r o s , w ith th e s am e d en om in a t io n
o n th e a u th o r ity o f M r . D i c k s o n . T h is n am e , th o u g h e x c e l -
e n t , m u s t o f co u r s e g iv e w a y to th e p r in ted o n e in th e v a lu
a b le w o r k o f D r . R o th , as th a t is n o less u n e x c e p t io n a b le
an d is m o r e o v e r sa n c tio n e d b y M r . D i l lw y n , to w h om w e are
o b lig e d fo r f ix in g th e s y n o n ym o f D il le n iu s .
T h i s do e s n o t se em to b e a ra re p la n t in f r e s h -w a te r d itch e s
th ro u g h o u t E n g la n d , b u t h a s b e en n e g le c te d as a v a r ie ty o f
C .gelatmosa, t. 6 8 9 , f r om w h ic h i t is v e r y d is t in c t in th e
s t ru c tu r e , and e s p e c ia lly th e e lo n g a ted p o in t s , o f its fin e la teral
b r a n c h e s , w h ic h tu rn to c o lo u r le s s j e l l y in d e c a y . I t is also
m u c h p a le r m h u e . T h e m a in s tem s are rem a rk a b ly p a le and
p e llu c id , w h a t lit t le c o lo u r th e y h a v e c o lle c t s in th e m id d le o f
e a ch j o in t , as in m a n y o th e r s o f th e g e n u s , n o r do w e c o n c
e iv e th a t c o lo u r to c o n s is t o f s e ed s , w h ic h , as M r . D i l lw v n
o b s e rv e s , are m o r e l ik e ly to re sem b le th o s e o f C. nelatinosa.
A l l th e jo in t s , .b u t e s p e c ia lly th o s e o f th e d ark tu fted b ran ch e s
a re b ro ad e r th a n lo n g , and a lit t le c o n t ra c te d w h e r e th e y u n ite
to g e th e r . 1