CONFERVA DISTORTA. 



C. filamentis ramofis articulatis fafciatis; ramis ramulifque diftortis j 

 duTepimentis obfoletis, articulis brevibus. 



C. diftorta. Fl. Dan. t. 820. 



In a boggy Pool on Sketty Burroughs near Swanfea. 



ALTHOUGH, in the prefent ftate of our knowledge of Convervse, it is impof- 

 fible with certainty to fay which fpecies are moft rare, or which moll common, 

 I cannot but think that the prefent has a claim to be confidered as one of the 

 fcarceft of the tribe. Muller, whofe figure in the Flora Danica is excellent, was 

 the firft who noticed it ; and he appears to have found it only in one place, and 

 there but very fparingly. 



I have a German fpecimen, through the kindnefs of my friend Dawfon 

 Turner, from Dr. Roth, under the apt name of Ceramium natans; and I 

 do not know that it has been found by any other botanift, till I fortunately met 

 with it in fmall quantity laft autumn in fome boggy pools on Sketty Burroughs 

 near Swanfea. It grows parafitically in fhort thick tufts on decaying grafs ; 

 attached to fmall pieces of which it frequently floats on the furface of the water. 

 The root I have not been able to difcover ; its filaments are generally about half 

 an inch in length, extremely flender, and of a beautiful dark green color, varying 

 to a lighter hue as they approach to decay. The branches are feldom numerous, 

 but have a very peculiar twill at their ramification, from which is derived the 

 fpecific name of the plant, and which is its greateft peculiarity. Muller, though 

 his figure abounds with tranfverfe lines, defcribes this fpecies ' filamentis inarti- 

 ' culatis' and hence appears to have difcovered a difference between thefe lines 



