2762
C H A R A Iledwigii.
Hedwig’s Char a.
CR YPTOGAMIA Characece.
Gen. Char. Stem spirally striated, articulated, bearing
whorled branches. Fructification of two
kinds; spirally striated nucules, and coloured
globules.—Greville.
Spec. Char. Stem smooth, even, somewhat flexible.
Branchlets articulated. Bracteas about equal to
the nucule. Nucule ovate.
Syn. Chara Hedwigii. Agardh, Si/st. Alg. 129.
Ch. vulgaris. Hedw. Theor. t. 32. 33. 1784. (not
of FI. Dan. t. 154.)
I j ^
JF ORMING dense masses in stagnant water, from eight
inches to a foot in length, slender, weak, quite smooth, bright
green, sending out roots from the swollen lower joints.
The individual plants are much branched, and more or less
fastigiate, not very brittle when fresh, rigid when dry and
retaining their green colour. The lower whorls distant,
upper more approximate, each consisting of eight branch-
lets, variously patent or connivent, sometimes shorter
sometimes longer than the interstices. Each branchlet
consists of about eight articulations, with evident internal
transverse partitions, the three lower bearing an ovate
nucule, much larger than the accompanying globule beneath
it, supported by four bristles none of which are longer
than itself, besides which there are two or three more or
less abortive bristles to complete the whorl of bracteas.
Each articulation appears divided into two, in consequence
of the smaller tubes, of which the wall is composed, consisting
of two articulations. The upper joints, which beai;
no fruit, are furnished with a more or less perfect whorl of
bracteas, and the last consists of but one or two of the