the Briti/h Fuci, with particular Defer ipt ions of each Specks. 97 



reach of human fight. Storms and tempefb, diilodging it from 

 its native bed, bear it in their uncontrollable violence to all the 

 (hores of the known world* 



F. bulbofus is a plant fui generis — the dilk immediately affumes an 

 inflated bulbous form — the bulb becomes covered with numerous 

 excrcfcences, which require very minute inveftigation. The afcer- 

 tainment of its ceconomy in this particular, as alio of its fructifica- 

 tion, would be a fubject of very curious enquiry. 



All plants produced from thofe rudiments of new branches ob- 

 fervable on the furface of mammillofus, rubens, &c. mult necelTarily 

 have a plain dilcoid root, that being the caufe of their firft adhc- 

 iion. 



■After all the pains we have taken to make our descriptions com- 

 plete, we are aware that many fpecimens will be found apparently 

 much at variance with what we have a Mated . This arifes from 

 two caufes — from the mutilations which they fuMer from the violence 

 of the waves, or other injuries, and their growing nearer or more 

 remote from the deflux of freih water. 



A very frequent effect of injury is the proliferous or reproductive 

 tendency which is thereby occafioned, and which often fo alters 

 the natural appearance of the plant, as to entirely difguife it to the 

 eye of an unpraclifed obferver. This is extremely frequent in 

 F.Jinuofus {rubens Fl. Ang.) when the membranous parts are de* 

 Mroyed, and only the nerves or fibres remain, from which young 

 leaves are frequently feen to (hoot in great abundance, giving it an 

 appearance fo entirely different from that which it at nrft had, that 

 it might eafily be fuppofed a different fpecies, did not the frequency 

 of this plant afford us an opportunity of feeing it in all its varying 

 forms. The F. rubens (prolifer of Lightfoot, crifpus Fl. Ang.) per- 

 haps owes fome of its appearance to this caufe; for the young 



Vol* III. O ; plants 



