MICROCOLEUS. 227 



water ; several inches long, flaccid, at length becoming curled and convo- 

 luted, when the sporidia, bursting through "the tube, leave it partially empty 

 and pellucid." Carm. — Transverse strite very evident and sub-distant. 

 When dry it is of a dull green, without gloss or any glaucous or verdigris 

 hue, and to the naked eye strongly resembles Conferva rivularis. 



4. L. speciosa, Carm. ; filaments long, thick, flaccid, 

 straight, at length curled, the margin crenate, freely floating 

 in the water, and forming extensive, bright green strata; 

 glossy when dry. Harv. I. c. p. 371 ; IVyatt, Alij. Damn. 

 No. 196; Harv. Phyc. Brit. t. clxxxvi. B. 



On marine rocks and Fuel. Appin, Ca])t. Carmichael. Torquay, Mrs. 

 Griffiths. St. Michael's Mount, Mr. Ralfs.—"' This plant covers the whole 

 surface of the rock or stone, floating loosely in the water ; but, when left 

 by the tide, spreading over it in a thin, intensely green fleece. The fila- 

 ments are twice as thick as those of the former species, 3 or 4 inches long, 

 straight and flaccid, at length becoming curled and crenated by the mar- 

 ginal protrusion of the sporidia. These are of a very flat, lenticular form, 

 and when ripe burst through the sides of the tube, leaving it here and 

 there colourless." Carm. MSS. — When dry it is of a deep glossy green. 

 Mrs. Grifliths' and Mrs. Wyatt's specimens are intermixed with Conferva 

 bangioides. 



5. L. Jiacca, Dillw. ; filaments short, tufted, straight, 

 bright green, flaccid ; articulations half as long as broad. 

 Harv. I. c. p. 354; Dillw. t. 49; E. Bot. t. 1943. 



On Fuci and floating timber. — Filaments half an inch to an inch long, 

 forming broad, bright green tufts. It adheres closely to paper. 



V. MiCROCOLEUS, Desmaz. [Plate 26, D.] 



Filaments minute, rigid, straight, transversely striated, 

 bundled, and inclosed within gelatinous or membranaceous, 

 simple or branched fronds ; from the apices of which they 

 oscillate. — Name, ixiKpog, small, and Ko^eoi^ a sheath. 



1. M. anyuiformis, Harv. ; fronds snake-like, simple, de- 

 cumbent, tapering much to the extremity ; filaments slender, 

 with distant striae. Harv. Phyc. Brit. t. ccxlix. 



Pools of brackish water, near the shore, at Dolgelly, Mr. Ralfs. — 

 Forming a dense stratum on the surface of the mud. The sheaths are 

 much twisted and grouped together without order. Colour a dull, dark 

 green. — The M. marinus of the first edition of this work, so far as the de- 

 scription goes, is founded in error ; that description having been dravvn up 

 from specimens of Honucocladia amjlica incorrectly understood and imper- 

 fectly examined. What Capt. Carmichael's specimens may be I have not 

 the means of determining : possibly they are the same as" our M. an(jui- 

 formis. I am afraid to quote the Osdllatoria c/ithonoplastcs, tVc, Lyngb. 



