/ x y '
[ 1763 ]
C O N F E R V A fluviatilis.
Horse-tail Conferva.
CRYPTOGAMIA Algae.
Gen. Char. Seeds produced within the substance of
the capillary or jointed frond, or in closed tubercles
united with it.
Spec. Char. Dull green. Filaments repeatedly and
alternately branched, somewhat rigid, tapering at
each end, regularly swelling at intervals, hollow,
without any internal partitions.
Syn. Conferva fluviatilis. Linn. S p.P l. 1635. Huds. 597.
With. v. 4 . i 34. Hull. 332. Lightf. 985. Dillw.
Conf. t. 29. Roth. Catal. v. 1 . 20 1 . Dicks. H.
Sicc.fasc. 1 7 . 25.
C. fluviatilis lubrica setosa, equiseti facie. D ill. Muse.
39. t. 7. ƒ. 47.
/3. C. torulosa, Roth. Catal. v. 1 . 200.
C. fluviatilis nodosa, fucum semulans. Dill. Muse. 39.
t. 7 ./ . 48. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
F o u n d in clear rapid streams, and therefore more especially
in mountainous countries. Mr. W. Borrer sent it from the
Winter-bourne, a rapid rivulet at Lewes, Sussex, in April
last.
Several stems, 4 to 6 inches long, grow horizontally from
one callous root which attaches itself to rocks or pebbles.
The colour of the whole plant is a dull semipellucid green.
Each stem, or filament, is more or less branched, tapering
toward each extremity, solid for a small distance above the
base, but otherwise tubular throughout, formed of a very’
cellular coat, and, as far as we have observed, uninterrupted
by any internal transverse partitions. Mr,. Borrer has detected
tufts of fine branched jointed divaricating fibres, lining the
inside of the tube, and greatly similar to what have been
described by previous writers as scattered over the outside,
especially at the swellings regularly distributed along the fibres,
which give the plant an appearance of being jointed.