Ser. MELANOSPERME^. (121) Fam. CHORDARIEiE(?) 



RALFSIA VERRUCOSA.— ^mc/i. 



Gen. Char. — Frond Bubcoriaceous, appressed, and attached by its whole under surface ; 

 cells arranged in densely-packed vertical filaments. Fructification : slightly 

 convex warts produced on the upper surface, and formed of vertical filaments, 

 to the bases of which are attached obovate spores. Name "in honour of John 

 Ralfs, Esq., of Penzance, a most acute and accurate botanist, whose discoveries 

 among the minute Algse, especially the Diatomacece, have thrown great light on 

 that little known branch of botany." — Phyc. Brit, 



Ralfsia verrucosa. — Frond forming a thick, somewhat leathery ciiist 

 on the surface of the rock, to which it is closely appressed and adherent. 



Ralfsia verrucosa. — Aresch. Linn. (1843) p. 264 ; /. 0. Ar/ardh, Sp. Gen. Al'j. 

 vol. i. p. 62 ; Harv. Man. p. 49 ; Harv. Syn. p. 43 ; Atlas, plate 15, 

 fig. 60. 



Raipsia deusta. — BerJc. in Eng. Bot. Suppl. t. 2866 ; Harv. P. B. plate 98. 



HiLDENBRANDTiA rubra. — Endl. 3rd Suppl. p. 26 (nee Syn. Berh. ; nee Menegh.). 



Crtjoria verrucosa. — Aresch. 



Padina (?) deusta.— Hook. Br. Fl. vol. ii. p. 281 ; Harv. in Made. Fl. Hib. 

 part 3, p. 178 ; Harv. Man. 1st edit. p. 31. 



ZoNARiA (?) c^ewsto. — Ag. Syn. p. 40; Ag. Sp. Alg. vol. i. p. 132; Ag. Syst. 

 p. 266 ; Lyngb. Hyd. Dan. p. 19, t. 5. 



Fuctrs fungularis. — Oeder, Fl. Norv. vol. ii. p. 107 ; Fl. Dan. t. 420 (excl. syn. 

 Imperati.). 



Hab. — Common between high -water mark, and half-tide level. Perennial. Winter. 



Geogr. Dist. — Atlantic shores of Europe, from Iceland to France ; Baltic Sea {Aresch.) ; 

 Kamtschatka and Unalascha (Tilesius). 



Description. — Fronds slightly convex, spreading in concentric rings 

 over the surface of the rock, in patches of one, two, or more inches in 

 extent, circular when young, but becoming irregular in outline, and 

 often confluent when old, marked more or less distinctly, especially when 

 young, with concentric growth lines, which become obsolete in age, when 

 they are often succeeded by numerous wi-inkles spreading over the 

 surface, which thus becomes veiy rugged when old. The structure is 

 very dense, the cells oblong, arranged in vertical, simple, filamentous 

 series, densely packed together in firm gelatuie. Fructification : obovate 

 spores, attached by short pedicels, at the base of vertical, club-shaped, 

 jointed filaments, which are closely compacted into depressed sub- 

 hemispherical tubercles scattered over the surface of the frond. Substance 



VOL. Ill, ^ 



