Ser. MELANOSPERME/E. (147) Fam. ECTOCARPE^E. 



Plate CLXX. 

 CLADOSTEPHUS SPONGIOSUS.— ^;7. 



Gen. Char. — Fronds cartilaginous, not jointed ; ramuli jointed, whorled, short, nearly 

 simple. Fructification : "elliptical utricles," borne on "accessary ramuli," produced 

 on the old fronds. Name from KXdSos, "a branch," and aTf<pos, "a crown." 



Cladostephus spongiosus. — Branches short, ramiili mostly simple, not 

 regularly whorled, and densely imbricated. 



Cladostephus spongiosus. — Ag. Syst. p. 168 ; Ag. Sp. Alg. vol. ii. p. 12 ; Wyatt, 

 Alg. Damn. No. 169 ; /. Ag. Alg. Medit. p. 30 ; Endl. 3rd Suppl. 

 p. 24 ; Harv. in Hooh Br. Fl. vol. ii. p. 322 ; Harv. in Maclc. Fl. Hib. 

 part 3, p. 180 ; Harv. P. B. plate 138 ; Earv. Man. p. 54 ; Harv. 

 Syn. p. 48 ; Atlas, plate 17, fig. 71 ; Harv. N. B. A. part 1, p. 135; 

 /. 0. Agardh, Sp. Gen. Alg. vol. i. p. 43. 



Cladostephus laxus.—Fl. Dan. t. 1955, f. 3 (?) excl. syn. 



Conferva spongiosa. — ffuds. Fl. Angl. p. 596; Lightf. Fl. Scot. p. 983; With. 

 Br. PI. vol. iv. p. 132 ; DUlw. Conf. t. 42; E. Bot. t. 2427, fig. 1. 



Fucus kirsutus. — Linn. Mant, p. 134 ; Esper, t. 28. 



Hab. — On rocks and stones in the sea, between tide marks, and to the depth of eight 

 fathoms. Perennial. Winter. Common. 



Geogr. Dist. — Atlantic shores of Europe and North America ; Mediterranean Sea 

 Cape Horn {Dr. Hooher). 



Description. — Root, a minute disc. Fronds filiform, cylindrical, much 

 branched from near the base, three to five inches in length, and (without 

 the ramuli) hai-dly a quarter of a line in thickness, slightly attenuated at 

 the base ; branches mostly dichotomous, erecto-patent, slightly incurved, 

 everywhere beset with uTCgularly whorled, articulated, slightly incurved, 

 mostly simple ramuli, closely imbricated and rather erect, attenuated to 

 the base, and gi-adually thickening upwards to a little above the middle, 

 then attenuated to a rather acute point, generally simple, but occa- 

 sionally with a single, straight, acuminated spine projecting from the 

 outside near the apex. Articulations about as long, or scarcely so long 

 as their diameter ; surface slightly, longitudinally striated ; cells minute. 

 In winter these ramelli are abraded, and their place is occupied by 

 others which are less curved, more cylindrical, and very obtuse, and 

 which bear the fructification— roundish elliptical, stalked " utricles " — on 

 their sides in abundance. Substance finn, cartilaginous, not adhering 

 to the paper in drying. Colour, a dark brownish olive. 



