Sek. MELANOSPERMEiE. ( 187 } Fam. ECTOCAEPEiE. 



ECTOCARPUS LONGIFEUCTUS.— ITrtrr. 



Gen. Char. — "Frond capillary, jointed, olive or brown, flaccid, single-tubed. Fruit, 

 either splierical, elliptical, or lanceolate utricles (or spores), borne (externally) 

 on the ramuli, or imbedded in their substance." Name from iKrhs, "external," 

 and Kap-rrhs, "fruit." A name equally applicable to many other genera, and 

 unfortunately only to a few of the species in the present. 



EcTOCAEPUS longifrudus. — Fronds much tufted and branched ; 

 branches irregular ; ramuli mostly opposite ; the ultimate ones short, 

 spine-like. Fructification terminal, hnear-ovate, acuminate, transversely 

 striate. 



EoTOCARPus longifructus. — Harv. P. B. plate 258; Harv. Man. p. 61 ; Harv. Syn. 

 p. 58 ; Atlas, plate 21, fig. 94 ; /. G. Agardh, Sp. Gen. AUj. vol. i. p. 25. 



Hab. —Parasitical on Algse, between tide -marks. Common. 



Geogk. Dist. ? 



Description. — Fronds forming large tufts, four to eight inches or more 

 in length, excessively branched ; branches irregular, mostly opposite, 

 especially the upper ones, but occasionally alternate ; the ultimate 

 divisions mostly pinnated with short, spine-like ramelli, opposite or 

 alternate ; all the divisions erecto-patent, slightly tapering upwards. 

 Most of the branches, the ramuli, and not unfrequently the upper 

 ramelli, are tipped with the long -pod-like fructification, which is ovate 

 at the base, and gradually tapering to a long acuminate point, marked 

 with close transverse striae, and filled apparently with dark granular 

 endochrome. Articulations about as long as, or a little longer than their 

 diameter. Substance rather flaccid, and closely adhering to paper in 

 drying. Colour, when young, a fine olive green, which changes to a 

 rusty brown in age. 



As we have already observed, under the last species, this beautiful 

 plant is so closely related to it in habit, that it is with no small difficulty 

 they can be distinguished, if they can be so without having recourse 

 to the fructification. The branching is perhaps in the present somewhat 

 more regularly opposite, and the ultimate divisions more spine-like, of 

 more uniform length ; bat we fear these characters arc unsatisfiictory, 

 as they cannot always be depended on. 



In the fructification, however, there is a decided and readily appre- 

 ciable difference. In the last species, the pod-like fruit is generally 



