56 Mr, Woodward'.? Obfervations upon 



— Subftantia frondis interna cartilagineo-gelatinofa, undique 

 materie fpongiofa, granulis innumcrabilibus minutis congeftis 

 repleta, cooperta. Cortex exterior leu epidermis nulla adeft— 

 Color fuperioris partis viridis, inferioris fordide albefcens. 



Hab. in mari Mediterraneo. 



A fingle fpecimen only of this curious and certainly nondefcript 

 Alga was received by Mr. Wigg from the Mediterranean, along 

 with fome other marine plants; but of the particular place of 

 growth he could obtain no certain information. It had fo much 

 the habit and appearance of Fucus /oreus, that it was at fir ft looked 

 upon as a fpecimen of that plant, overgrown and fpoiled hyFluJira 

 fiilofa. On putting it into water, it loft its comprefTed, and afiumed 

 a round form; and it was then obferved that the whole furface was 

 compofed of minute granulations, which had, whilft it was dry, given 

 it that roughnefs of appearance, but which in reality more refem- 

 bled a woollinefs or hairinefs than the Flujira filofa. From a care- 

 ful examination of it in this fituation, the above fpecific character 

 and defcription were drawn up; and from the very Angular circum- 

 fiance of the exterior granulations appearing entirely naked, and 

 not being covered by any outer coat or epidermis whatever, the 

 trivial name p£ decortkata was given to it. The whole length of 

 this particular fpecimen is fix feet fix inches ; the breadth of the 

 largeft branch, where uncompreffed, four lines. There is no ap- 

 pearance of any root, but the bafe of the frond is expanded, and by 

 this it has evidently adhered to its place of growth. Near the bale 

 it is branched into three or four or more parts ; one of thefe is 

 very fhort; two others are dichotomoufly divided at about fix. 

 inches from their origin, after which they continue fimple to their 

 terminations. The longeft branch, or, as it may be confidered, 



the 



