Ser. MELANOSPERMEiE. ( 159 ) Fam. ECTOCARPEiE. 



SPHACELARIA FVSCA.—Ag. 



Gkn. Char. — Fronds filiform, articulated, dichotomously branched; apices of the branches 

 generally more or less distended, as if the apical cell was enlarged and inflated, 

 containing in its centre a dark granular mass of endochrome. Fructification : 

 "elliptical utricles (or spores) furnished with a limbus, borne on the ramuli." 

 Name from (r(t>dKf\os, "a gangrene," in allusion to the withered diseased-like 

 apices of the branches, yery characteristic in some of the species. 



Sphacelaria fmca. — " Filaments densely tufted, capillary, distinctly 

 and irregularly branched ; branches long and simple, bearing a few 

 clavate or three-forked minute ramuH ; articulations twice as long as 

 broad, marked by a transverse band ; spores globose." — Fhyc. Brit. 



Sphacelaria fusca. — Ag. Sp. Alg. vol. ii. p. 34 ; Harv. in Hook Br. Fl. vol. ii. 

 p. 324 ; Harv. P. B. plate 149 ; Hwrv. Man. p. 57 ; Harv. Syn. p. 51 ; 

 Atlas, plate 18, fig. 78 ; /. G. Agardh, Sp, Gen. Alg. vol. i. p. 32. 



Conferva fusca. — Huds. Fl. Angl. p. 602 ; With. Br. PI. vol. iv. p. 141 ; 

 Dillw. Conf. t. 95. 



Hab. — On rocks and stones, between tide-marks. Very rare. Anglesea (Rev. H. 

 Davies) ; Newton Nottage, Glamorgan [Mr. W. W. Young) ; Worms Head and other places 

 in Gower {Mr. Dillwyn) ; Sidmouth {Mrs. Griffiths) ; St. Michael's Mount, Cornwall 

 {Mr. Ralfs.) 



GEoaK. DisT. — Shores of Wales and south of England ? 



Description. — Fronds much tufted, one to two inches long, very 

 slender, and but slightly branched; branches suberect, long, slender, 

 simple, filiform, cylindrical, with here and there a short, cylindrical, 

 clavate ramulus, with frequently three spine-like, spreading, or recurved 

 ramelli near the apex. Articulations about twice as long as bi'oad or 

 nearly, with a dark band across the middle of each. The branches are 

 sometimes regularly dichotomous, sometimes subalternate, and occa- 

 sionally partly secund. Substance rather firm, and but slightly adhering 

 to paper. Colour bi'ownish olive. 



This plant we have never met with, and have only seen a very imper- 

 fect specimen "from Devonshire." Professor Harvey says, "that it 

 would seem to be pretty common on the coast of Wales," but its small 

 size and obscure habit may cause it to be often overlooked. 



Its irregular branching and rather longer joints will readily distin- 

 guish it from the preceding, and when the curious ramelli are well 



