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ULVA multifida,
Lacinia ted Brown Laver,
CRYPTQG4MIA Alga.
Gen. Char. F ro n d membranous or gelatinous. Seeds
solitary, scattered throughout its substance, under
the cuticle.
Spec. Char. Frond somewhat cartilaginous, brown,
compressed, repeatedly branched, somewhat palmate.
Seeds irregularly scattered. Root smooth.
A NONDESCRIPT species, gathered by Mr. Turner, August
31, 1804, on the beach at Yarmouth, where however it
is of very rare occurrence. We are obliged to that gentleman
for allowing us to make a drawing from his own specimen.
Root a small smooth callous disk, not woolly. Frond olive-
brown 4 or 5 inches high, thick and leathery rather than
membranous, compressed, repeatedly branched or fingered,
scarcely palmate; the segments spreading, linear, various in
length and breadth. The whole is quite destitute of concentric
lines. The seeds are thickly and irregularly.scattered
over the frond in small round clusters. We areaiot sure that
they are lodged under the cuticle, or if originally so, thev are
here perhaps in a viviparous state. They evidently project so
as to give a roughness to the frond, and when highly magnified
appear like little tufts of oblong stalked capsules. Are these
a young progeny } or are they really capsules, and the plant
rather a Fuqus than an JJlva P We lake the liberty of suggesting
our doubts, though we follow the opinion of the able
botanist to whom we are indebted for this communication,
and who is in this tribe of such peculiar authority,
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