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conferva dichotoma.
Forked Conferva.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
Gen. Char. Seeds produced in round, folitary,
clofed tubercles, projecting from the frond, but
united with it.
Spec. Char, Green, thread-fhaped, hollow, repeatedly
forked, jointed here and there. Cap,
fules green, elliptical,
Syn. Conferva dichotoma. Linn. Sp. PJ. 1635,
Ilndf. 5 9 3 . W ith.v. 4 . 1 3 9 . Hull 3 3 0 .
C. dichotoma, fetis porcinis fimilis. D ill Mufc. 17.
L 3- /• 9'
C. Plinii, fetis porcinis fimilis. Dill, in Rati Syn. 58,
F O U N D in ditches near Yarmouth laft April by Mr. D,
Turner. The plant itfelf is far from common, and the fructification
has never before been obferved, either in this or (as
far as we know) any other capillary fretli-water Conferva.
The whole plant is of a palilh grafs-green, fmooth, and pellucid.
Its Items grow in denfe clutters, erect (according to
the obfervation of Dillenius), and are repeatedly forked, or an
equal thicknefs throughout, bluntith at the top, hollow, con,
fitting of a thin green membrane enveloping a darker granulated
fcattered pulp. The cavity is here ana there divided by
tranfverfe fepta, and a little contracted at thofe parts, giving
the Item and branches an irregularly jointed appearance,
which Dillenius does not mention. Capfules fcattered, lateral,
fefiile, elliptical, fcarcelyfo long as the diameter of the branch,
of the texture and colour of the ttem. We have not difcover-
ed any feeds, infomuch that Mr. Sowerby was led to fufpecSt
thefe capfules might be extraneous bodies, perhaps eggs offome
animal. I have, on the other hand, a fufpicion that the plant
may rather belong to Chara, the ftru&ure of its item, efpe-
ciafly its joints, being exactly the fame as in C.jlexilis, and the
capfule not unlike the fruit of that genus. The anthera how,
ever remains unknown.