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CONFERVA echinulata.
L it t le Hedgehog Conferva.
CRYPTOGAM1A Algce.
Gen. Char. Seeds produced in ro u n d , solitary, closed
tubercles, projecting from th e fro n d , b ut united
with it.
Spec. Char. Glaucous. Stems jointed, undivided,
spreading every way from a centre, an d forming a
globe,
SEN T by the Rev. Mr. Davies from a lake in Anglesea. It
covers the surface of the water in the months of June and
July, and consists of innumerable minute globules of a glaucous
or verdigrise green, all nearly of a size. When examined
with a microscope, each globule appears to be composed of a
number of simple cylindrical short filaments, spreading in
every direction, and apparently springing from a solid centre.
Under a very high magnifier these filaments are found to be
formed of short uniform joints, each of which is of an equal
thickness throughout, but -the upper ones gradually diminish
in size.
Mr. Turner has suggested to us, that this minute vegetable
ought probably to be referred to the celebrated Dr. Roth’s
new genus of Rivularia, to which our Ulva incrassata, v. 14.
t. 967, and U. pruniformis, t. 968, belong. Those species
are of a pulpy substance, clothed with jointed filaments. We
are strongly persuaded of this being similarly constructed,
and not a mere mass of filamentous stems like C. cegagropild-,
but we wish not to decide the question till we have finally determined
the genera of this tribe: more especially as we have
under consideration a production very similar to the present,
though without filaments, found by Mr. Crowe in Norfolk,
which seems likely to throw some light upon it.