CONFERVA FRACTA. 



C. filamentis ramofiffimis implexis ; ramis ramulisque divaricatis ; arti- 

 culis adultioribus oblongis junioribus cylindricis ; capfulis feflilibus 

 fub-rotundis. 



C. frada. Fl. Dan. T. 946. 



C. divaricata. Roth. Cat. Bot. I. p. 179. t. 3. f. 1. Fl. Germ. III. p. 510. 



In ftagnant Ditches and Pools. 



THIS fpecies was firft defcribed and figured in the Flora Danica under the 

 name of C. fra£ta, and afterwards by Dr. Roth in his Catalecta Botanica, who 

 was not then aware of its having been pre-defcribed, under the name of C. divari- 

 cata : the former name appears to be molt eligible, not only on account of its 

 priority, but alfo becaufe it is peculiarly characteriftic. I firft detected it near 

 Yarmouth ; afterwards copioufly producing felfile capfules in Lock fields, near 

 London, and fince in many other places, and I think there is little doubt of its 

 being one of our molt common fpecies. It grows in denfely entangled maffes, 

 generally floating on the furface of ftagnant waters, and is of a dull dark green 

 color. The filaments vary in length from one to four inches, are equal in thick- 

 nefs to the human hair, rather rigid, and divided and fubdivided into branches in 

 an irregular manner : the branches are divaricate, molt commonly alternate, but 

 fometimes feveral together are difpofed on the fame fide : in length they differ 

 very much, fome being long, and others fo ihort, and apparently abruptly termi- 

 nated, as to give the plant a broken appearance, which is highly characteriftic, 

 and by which, and its divaricate ramifications, it may be diftinguifhed from its 

 congeners. The joints, which otherwife are cylindrical, frequently appear to be 

 fwelled, and aflume an oblong form. This appearance I have alfo obferved, 

 though far lefs frequently, in C. littoralis, rofea, and fome others, and I fuppofe that 



