/z& [ 1479 ]
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
Geh. Char. Seeds produced in round, solitary, closed
tubercles, projecting from the frond, but united
with it.
Spec. Char. Red, branched, cylindrical. The branches
clothed with whorled, imbricated, forked, jointed
filaments.
Syn. Conferva equisetifolia. L ightf. 984. With. v. 4.
133. Hull. 332.
C. imbricata. Huds. 603.
Muscus marinus hirsutus, flagellis longioribus, rarius
divisis, ruber. Moris. H ist. V. 3. 650. sect. 15.
| 9 7 . _ _ _ _ _
M R . WOODWARD and Mr. Turner have both observed
this Conferva on the beach at Yarmouth. The latter assures
us it is often found there. Lightfoot speaks of it as rather
rare in Britain. We are not sure that his name, equisetifolia,
which has been generally adopted, is preferable to the rejected
one of Hudson.
The whole plant is 3 or 4 inches long, much and alternately
branched, of a bright red when young, but in the older parts
turning purple or brown. All the branches are cylindrical,
and uniformly clothed with densely imbricated whorled filaments,
which when magnified prove to be forked, and curiously
jointed ; the joints are contracted, and redder than the
other parts. No fructification has yet been detected.