CONFERVA NANA. 



C. filamentis ramofis minutiffimis : ramis ramulifque fub-alternis acumi- 

 natis ; diffepimemis pellucidis ; articulis cylindricis. 



In the Wye, near Llanydloes, in Montgomeryfhire, and near Swanfea. 



THE bottom of the rocky channel of the Wye, near Llanydloes, was on the 

 9th of laft November covered with a foft down, which, on fubfequent exami- 

 nation, proved to be the remains of fome Conferva in decay ; moft probably the 

 Ceramium ceefpitofum of Roth, overgrown with the prefent extremely delicate 

 parafite. The minutenefs of the filaments, which, in length, feldom much 

 exceeded half a line, prevented me from afcertaining their nature fo fully as I 

 could have wifhed. Their color is pale brown, tinged with green, fubdiaphanous 

 under the microfcope. They appear to confift of a fimple ftem, befet at uncertain 

 diftances with alternate branches, which are again clothed with fliort, fimple, 

 folitary ramuli, placed at fmall diftances from each other, moft commonly alter- 

 nate, though fometimes two or more together are difpofed on the fame fide ; all of 

 them are finely acuminated : the difiepiments are very apparent, and divide the 

 filaments into joints, all of equal fize, of which the length is about double the 

 thicknefs. To the naked eye, this plant, like fome of the moft common fpecies, 

 appears, when taken from the water, like a mere mafs of decaying vegetable 

 matter ; its extreme minutenefs might fairly induce a fufpicion whether it is in 

 reality any thing more than the feedling of fome known Conferva ; and under 

 this idea I fhould have been unwilling to publifh it as a new one, but that its 

 ramification, and remarkably acuminated branches, render it quite unlike any 

 other, with which I am acquainted, except C. littoralis, which is one of our largeft 

 fpecies ; and which, it may therefore fairly be prefumed, would not be fo per- 

 fectly formed in fo very minute a ftate. It adheres to either glafs or paper. 



