CONFERVA PURPUREA. 



C. filamentis dichotomis flexilibus minutis ; dichotomiis approximatis ; 

 diffepimentis obfcuris ; articulis longiufculis. 



Byflus purpurea. Fl. Scot. p. roco. Eng. Bet. t. 192. With III. p. 144. 

 Byffus rubra. Fl. Ang. p. 605. 



On rocks and ftones, efpecially fuch as are near the Sea. Upon the bafe of the 

 Abbot Mackinnons Tomb, in the ruined Abbey of Y. Columb-kill, Lightfoot. 

 Near Aber, in Anglefea, Rev. Hugh Davies. In the Cavern under the 

 Light-houfe on the Mumble rocks, and other fimilar places near Swanfea. 



THE ftructure of the prefent fpecies agrees fo fully with that of C. aurea, 

 that the reafons already given for the introduction of the one among the Conferva 

 apply equally to the other, and need not therefore be here repeated. 



Few of the minute productions of nature have a more elegant effect than 

 C. purpurea. At the end of die cave above mentioned, it fo entirely clothes 

 fome large rocks that they appear as if covered with the moft beautiful crimfon 

 or purple velvet •, indeed the Similarity of appearance between this plant and 

 velvet is wonderfully ftrikincr, and far more fo than in C. aurea, which may 

 rather be faid to refemble orange-colored or fcarlet plufh. 



C. purpurea confifts of extremely fhort flexile filaments, fo denfely matted as 

 to form an uniform mafs, refembling the crufl of a lichen. The color varies from 

 a purplifh crimfon to a darkifh purple. Under the microfcope the filaments arc 

 feen to be repeatedly dichotomous at fhort intervals, with dark colored diffepi- 

 ments, dividing them into joints, whofe length confibcrably exceeds their diick- 

 nefs. I have not been able to find any fructification. 



