C O N F E R V A -Mertenfii.
M erten jian C o n ferv a.
CR YPTOGAMIA Alga.
Gen, Char. Seeds produced in round, folitary, clofed
tubercles, projecting from the frond, but united
with it.
Spec. Char. Frond much branched : branches op-
pofite, pinnated ; joints Ihort, Capfules minute,
acorh-Ihaped, on Ihort'ftalks.
T h e hiflory of this new Conferva cannot be better exprefied
than in the words of Mr. Turner, to whom we are obliged for
our fpecimens.
“ It was firft found on the beach at Yarmouth by Mr. Wigg
in the fummer of 179 9 , and has fince been occafionally met
with, though always in extremely fmall quantities, by Mr,
Mafon and myfelf. I have named it after my excellent corre-
fpondent Profeffor Mertens of Bremen, as well to- bear a tefti-
mony to his unwearied zeal and extenfive knowledge of this
genus, which he is now about to illuftrate, as in token of my
private refpeft. It cannot be confounded with any hitherto
defcribed fpecies from the peculiarity of its habit, which bringing
it very near to Fucus Wiggii makes it one of the many
links that unite the two genera; and hence it belongs to
Dr. Roth’s intermediate genus Ceramium, which for the prefent
we on many accounts decline adopting. C. Mertenfii is ufually
about 3 inches high. Its fmall folid root fends forth many
cylindrical pale-yellow Hems, pinnated from their very origin,
with Ihort, oppofite, diflichous, horizontal Ihoots, in general
fimple, fometimes extending into new branches. Joints Ihort,
cylindrical; fepta darker, and thence confpicuous. Whole
plant pellucid, except the eapfules, which are opaque, acorn-
Ihaped, growing out of the fmaller branches, on Ihort ftalks,
oppofite or alternate, vifible only with a good glafs. When
dried this fpecies refembles moll Hudfon’s C. gelatimja (3,
C. mutabilis of Roth’s Cataleda.”