C O N F E R V A barbata.
Bearded Bed Conferva.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
G en . Ch a r . Seeds produced within the substance of
the capillary or jointed frond, or in closed tubercles
united with it.
Spec. Char. Pale crimson, repeatedly branched. Joints
swelling upwards, five times as long as broad ; the
upper ones beset with opposite, branched, pale fibres.
Lateral shoots bearing tufts of simple filaments, enfolding
many seeds imbedded in mucus.
S yn. Conferva florifera. E llis in Phil. Trans, v. 5*7.
4 2 5 ? .No description nor figure.
on the beach at Brighthelmston, in July 1807, by
r i i ’ . ' ®orrer3 ° f whose remarks we have profited in the
lollowing description.
The fronds are about 2 or 3 inches high, of a pale rose-
colour, repeatedly branched or forked at most of the articulations,
the lowermost branches especially divaricated. Joints
a little swelling upwards, 5 or 6 times as long as broad, the
lower ones more exactly cylindrical ; those about the summit
bearded with opposite, long, branched, pale, very fine fibres,
fructification at the ends of short, lateral, single-jointed
branches, as in C. setacea, t. 1689, consisting of rosaceous
tut s of mflexed unjointed filaments, enfolding a mass of
■ dark-red, globular seeds, lodged in a colourless mucus or
jelly.
We have not been able to refer this to any described species
even in the rich history of the genus in Dr. Roth’s Catalecta,
v. 3, just come to our hands. Though much smaller in all its
parts, and distinguished by the pale filaments about the upper
parts of the branches, it bears considerable affinity to C. setacea
above mentioned. Miss Biddulph has recently made some
curious observations on the fructification of the latter, which
appears to be of two kinds. In one the seeds are ranged singly
along the little tufted jointed filaments, each accompanied by
two bristles; in the other each filament bears, near its base
an oval congeries of small dots in several rows. Considering
the varying fruit of some Fuci, see t. 1242, we cannot say
whether these are monoecious flowers, or only the same flower
in different stages.