RALFSIA deusta.
Fungiform Ralfsia.
CRYPTOGAMIA Alga.
Gen. Chau. Frond flat, more or less squamasfoim,
coriaceous, composed of vertical fibres, not
simply reticulated. Fructification hemispherical
tubercles consisting of articulate clavate fibres,
and oblong seeds situated at their base.
Spec. Chak. Fronds entirely resupinate, more or
less orbicular, at length confluent, deep brown,
clothed beneath with scattered rusty down.
Syn. Padina deusta. Eng. FI. v. 5. pt. 1. 281.
Zonaria deusta. Ag. Sp. Alg. 132. Syst.Alg. 265.
Fucus, &c. FI. Dan. t. 420.
Fucus fungiformis. Gunn. Norv. p t.2 . 107.
F r o n d s i — inch broad, resu p in a te , a tta ch ed by
th e ir wh ole under surface, at first o rbicu lar, at len g th from
the confluence o f many in d iv id u a ls forming irr egu la r, somewh
at r eticu la ted masses, e x a c tly as in many Thelephorce ;
th in , co ria ceous, obscu re ly z o n ed abo v e , ru g o se and warty,
dark b r ow n ; be low pa rtia lly c lo th ed with rusty down.
Ma rg in s lig h tly lob ed . Su bstanc e c o n sistin g o f c lo s e ly -
packed, c e llu la r , v ertica lly arranged filaments, o c ca sion a lly
stra to se , w h ich, when v iew ed by transm itted lig h t, are o f a
beau tifu l g o ld en brown. F ru ctifica tion h em isph er ica l g e la
tin o u s tu b er c le s, con sistin g o f c la v a te , shortly ar ticu la ted ,
y e llow -b row n filam ents, b ea rin g at their base ob o v a te seeds
con sistin g o f a grum ous mass surrounded by a broad p e llu
c id border. B e sid e s th e c la v a te filam ents the r e are sca ttered
tufts o f short, slen d e r , a cum ina te threads.
Our sp ecimen s o f this very in te r e stin g A lg a w e r e k in dly