four new Species of Fucus. 1 29 



much has been already written upon that fubjed:, the Society will 

 perhaps excufe me if I trefpafs fomewhat upon their time by a 

 flight digreffion refpefling it. The fruit of Fucus HypoglrJJ'um^ as 

 is well known, is ibmetimes found in fmall globular capfules fituated 

 upon the midrib of the leaves, while in other fpecimcns no traces of 

 thefe capfules are apparent, but minute dark feeds are difcovered in 

 two fmall rows on each fide of the midrib, and parallel to it : a cir- 

 cumftancc which with fome botanifts has given rife to the conjec- 

 ture that this Fucus may poflibly be dioicous, while others have 

 carried the matter fo far as to wifli to conftitute two diflindl fpccies. 

 The latter idea however is done away by plants being occaQonally 

 found in which both kinds of fr unification, as they are called, may 

 be difcovered upon the fame plant ; and the former fuppofition has 

 always appeared to me equally ill-founded, from my once having ex- 

 amined a plant in which the capfule was actually burfting, and the 

 feeds partly difcharged. I have no hefitation in owning, that I 

 never could account for thefe feeds, fuppofmg them to be cafually 

 fcattered, adhering in fuch regular lines as is always the cafe ; nor 

 can I fee any reafon for that part of the membrane upon which 

 they are difpofed being of a darker colour, and apparently thicker 

 fubftance, than the reft of the leaf: thefe are difficulties which I hope 

 other botanifts will remove, but which do not appear to me of 

 fufficient importance to induce me to accede to the idea of Fuel 

 being monoicous or dioicous. I am indeed on the contrary per- 

 fuaded that they prove nothing, as many other Fuci, among which 

 are to be enumerated the following, have their feeds cquallv con- 

 tained in capfules, and aftenvards difperfed upon the frond, thouo-h 

 without the fame appeal ance of regularity : thefe are Fucus flatus, 

 ovah'sy dafyphyllus, articulatus, kaliformisj clavdlofus^ tenuiffimus, 

 and pinnatifidus. From a confideration of thefe and other circum- 

 fiances, I have been led to conjecture, that in the above-mentioned 

 Vol. VI. S Fuci 



