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C O N E E RVA crispata.
Branching Cross-jointed, Conferva.
CRYPTO GAM I A Algce.
Gen. Char. Seeds produced within the substance of
the capillary or jointed frond, or in closed tubercles
united with it.
Spec. Char. Green, branched, crisped and entangled.
Branches alternate,, copious, acute. Joints even,
several times longer than broad, alternately contracted
when dry.
Syn. Conferva crispata. Roth Catal.v. 1 .1 7 8 . Dillw.
Conf. t. 93. Syn. 6 4 . n. 9 4 .
CO L L EC T ED in pools in Sussex, July 3, by Mr. W . Bor-
rer, who had some doubts respecting Dillwyn’s synonym. The
description of Roth indeed best agrees with our plant as to
colour, which he says is, in summer, an extremely bright
green, at which season the plant floats in large masses, including
many air-bubbles. In autumn and winter it becomes of a
duller or darker hue, and sinks to the bottom.
The filaments are about a foot long, or more, densely entangled,
rather tough, destitute of gloss, curled and crisped,
especially when old, not disentangled without difficulty or injury.
We find the ultimate branches, at least, copious, not
distant; their points very acute. The joints in the principal
parts of the plant are perfectly even and cylindrical, four or
five times as long as broad. By drying they become elliptical
and compressed, decussating each other alternately, as in the
true C. capillaris of Linnaeus, hereafter, as we hope, to be described,
which the present species also much resembles in general
aspect, whether recent or dried, but the capillaris is
simple.
2 3 SO.