C 69ö )
C O N F E R V A atra*
Black Beaded Conferva.
CRY P T OG AMI A Alga.
Gen. Char. Seeds in round, folitary, clofed tubercles,
projecting from the frond, but united with it.
Spec. Char. Branches beaded, with whorled, Ample,
jointed filaments, tomewhat gelatinous, blackith in
decay.
Sy n . Conferva atra. Hudf. 5 9 7 . With. v . 4 . 1 3 4 .
H ull. 332-. Dick/. H. Sicc.fafc. 1 3 . 2 5 .
C. fontana nodofa lubrica, filamentis tenuiffimis ni-
gris. D ill. Mufc. 3 9 . t. 7 . ƒ. 4 6 .
W E h a v e r e c e iv ed th is a lfo from M r . D . T u rn e r , and c a n n
o t illu f tr a te i t b e t te r th a n in h is ow n w o rd s .
“ T h e fa te o f th is v e r y e le g a n t Conferva feetn s to h a v e
b e e n th e re v e r ie o f th e fo r e g o in g , few h a v in g b e en m o r e u n i-
v e r fa l ly n o t ic e d th a n th e o n e , a n a few m o re n e g le c te d th a n th e
o th e r . E x c e p t in g D i l le n iu s , w h o fe fig u r e w e ll exp re ffe s its
g e n e r a l a p p e a ran c e , fc a r c e ly a n y a u th o r fe em s to h a v e defcrib ed
i t from h is ow n o b fe rv a t io n . M r . D ic k fo n h a s fo u n d it o n
W im b le d o n c om m o n , an d o u r fp e c im e n w a s g a th e red in th e
fam e b ro o k w i th th e p r e c e d in g . I t b e g in s to ap p e a r in th e end
o f M a r c h , c o n f id in g o f fh o r t e x t r em e ly d e lic a te f ilam e n t s , i r r
e g u la r ly b r a n c h e d ; o f a p a le g r e e n ; an d c o n t in u e s in c re a fin g
t i l l th e m id d le o f M a y , w h e n i t is in p e r fe c tio n , th e Items
b e in g th e n a b o u t i t in c h lo n g , b u fh y , o f a d a rk e r g r e e n , a lm o ft
b la c k a t th e b a fe , b u t n o t fu ff ic ie n t ly to ju f t i f y th e n am e , e x c
e p t w h e n d r ied . F r om th is p e r io d it g ra d u a lly d e c a y s , lofes
i t s fin e r p a r ts , b e c om e s r ig id , and b y th e b e g in n in g o f A u g u f t
c om p le t e ly d ifa p p e a r s . T h e Item is fw o llen a t th e jo in t s , and
w h o r le d w i th m in u te fin e jo in t e d fh o r t Am p le filam en ts . I t
d iffe rs a t fir ft fig h t from C . gelatinofa in te x tu re and th ic k -
n e fs , an d f r om C.fiuviatilis in b o th th e fe refp edts, as w e ll as
c o lo u r an d ram if ic a t io n . I t c a n n o t b e c o n fo u n d ed w ith a n y
e th e r known B r it ifh fp e c ie s .”