CONFERVA VILLOSA. 



C. filamentis ramofis ; ramis ramulifque oppofitis diftahtibus; arti&ilis 



breviffimis ; diffepimentis obfcuris villofis. 

 C. villofa. Fl. Ang. p. 603. With. IV. p. 141. Eng. Bot. t. 546. 

 On fubmarine Rocks and Stones. In Cornwall, Hudson. At Yarmoudi, Dawson 

 Turner, Esq. On the Rocks at the Mumbles, near Swanfea. 



C. VILLOSA appears to have been firft obferved by the indefatigable author of 

 the Flora Anglica, and may be reckoned among the mod unfrequent of this tribe, 

 being found but in few parts of the kingdom, and not having been noticed by 

 any foreign writer. Its growth teems to be very rapid, and its duration fhort, as 

 it has, I believe, never been found but in the months of July and Auguft. 



The whole plant is of a greenifh yellow color, and of a cartilaginous nature, 

 but becomes foft and very flaccid foon after it is gathered. The root is a fmall 

 callus. The item varies from fix inches to three feet or more in length ; is con- 

 fiderably thicker than horfe hair, and feldom more than thrice divided. The 

 branches are diftant, moftly oppofite, and undivided when not more than two 

 inches in length ; the hairs, which conftitute the leading fpecific charader, are 

 difpofed in whirls on about every 4 th or 5 th joint, and moftly fubdivided in a 

 fimilar manner, giving the plant a remarkably hairy appearance, as if befet with 

 fome minute parafite ; thefe hairs are extremely flender, and fo liable to be broken 

 off", that it is almoft impoffible to find a fpecimen in which they are nearly all 

 perfect. The diffepiments are difpofed at equal and very fhort diftances from 

 each other ; they are not readily difcoverable except in the verticillated hairs, to 

 which when the juices have collapfed, as is moft commonly the cafe, they give a 

 very beautiful appearance. 



