DelesseriefS.'] delesseeia. 255 



elegance of its appearance^ and the exquisite colour of its 

 most delicatelv-veined leaves, this beautiful Fucm so much 

 excels all its congeners, that it carries away tlie palm with 

 no less justice from the vegetables of the ocean, than the 

 rose, the flower of the poets, from its rivals in the garden/^ 

 In Phvc. Brit., PI. cli.. Professor Harvev savs : "This fine 

 plant, whether we regard the splendour of its colour or the 

 elesrance of its form, is entitled to hii^h rank in the Oceanic 

 Flora, and notwithstanding its common occuiTence on all 

 our shores, is never seen without attracting admiration. 

 In favourable localities it reaches to a very large size, — and 

 such specimens are among the most beautiful vegetable 

 objects in nature." The substance of the leaves is delicately 

 membranous. They are often plaited along the margin, 

 and this gives additional beauty to dried specimens by 

 varying the hues of the fine crimson pink. We may men- 

 tion that the fronds, if allowed to remain long in fresh 

 water, give out much of their colouring matter, and are 

 consequently paler when dried, and have less also of that 

 glossy shining aspect which otherwise characterizes them. 



2. Delesseria sixuosa, Lamour. 



Hab. On the larger AlgEe. Common. 



It is questioned whether it is biennial. I have observed 



