CONFERVA LITTORALIS. 



Conferva filamentis ramofiiTimis tenuiffimis flexuofis dense implexis ; 

 ramis ratnulifquc acuminatis : diffepimentis obfcuris ; articulis cylin- 

 dricis brevibus. 



C. littoralis. Sp. PI. p. 1634. Fl. Ang. p. 594. Fl. Scot. p. 979. With. IV. 

 p. 130. Cat. Bot. I. p. 152. 



Conferva marina capillacea longa ramofiflima mollis. Dill. Hift. Mufc. p. 25. 

 t. 4. f. 19. 



On Rocks and Fuci in the Sea, common. 



THIS fpecies abounds on all the coafts I have yet examined, growing either on 

 the rocks or larger fuci, particularly Fucus veficulofus. Its filaments, which are 

 peculiarly thin, form oblong fafciculi, of a dull olive-green color, occafionally 

 more or lefs tinged with yellow ; and varying in length from fix to nine inches : 

 they are much branched, and fo flender and flexible as to be affected by the 

 flighted motion of the water. Their fubftance is tender and foft, but ftill by no 

 means inclining to gelatinous. Their mode of growth is fo entangled, that it is 

 almoft impoffible to feparate them. In their native fituation they have a remark- 

 ably elegant appearance, being twifted together fo as to look like thick fhoots, the 

 edges of which are, from the young branches, feathered in a mod beautiful 

 manner. The branches are generally alternate, but fometimes oppofite, and iffue 

 from the Item at acute angles. They are always remarkable for their acuminated 

 apices, upon which, and the fhortnefs of the joints, the ftrongeft characters of 

 this plant depend. The diffepiments are nearly black, often appearing broken, 

 and dividing the filaments into fhort joints ; which, as in C. fra£ta and fome other 

 fpecies, are frequently fwollen, and then affume a darker color. Some fpecimens 



