CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
Gen. Char. Seeds produced in round, folitary,
clofed tubercles, projecting from the frond, but
united with it.
Spec. Char. Jointed, branched, rough ; branches
alternate, doubly pinnate; the ultimate ones tufted,
fcarlet. Capfules folitary, ovate, red.
Sy n . Conferva coccinea. H udf. 603. With. v . 4.
141. Hull. 3 3 5 . Dickf. H . S'tcc.fafe. 15. 25.
C. plumofa. Lightf. 9 9 6 .
T h IS moft beautiful Conferva is frequently thrown up on
the fea fhore. I t was firft well defcribed by Mr. Ellis in the
5 7 th volume of the Philofophical Tranfa&ions, by the name of
plumofa. It is eafily known by the roughnefs of its main
ftem, its general red colour, but more efpecially the vivid
fcarlet of its youngeft branches. Every part is jointed, more
diftin&ly fo than C. byffoides, v. 8 . t. 5 4 7 , to which this
fpecies is nearly akin ; and the fame reafons which induced
us to make that a Conferva, muft fupport us in the prefent
inftance, for the fructification can hardly be diftinguiflied from
that of a Fucus. Some have gone fo far as to defcribe the
male flowers of C. coccinea on a feparate plant from the female;
but we readily aflent to Dr. Hull’s fuppofition, that fuch are,
moft probably, capfules in another ftage of growth, the fame
varieties of appearance being obfervable in fome Fuci.