Rhodomelece.'] polysiphonia. 297 



by naturalists till it was sent by Mr. Broclie, of Brodie, to 

 Mr. Dillwyn about forty years ago, who dedicated it to Mr. 

 Brodie. It was then ranked as a Conferva. " C. Brodicei,'^ 

 says Mr. Dillwyn, '' is among the most magnificent of the 

 genus, often extending to a foot and a half or two feet in 

 length, and pushing forth, from a discoid base, several main 

 filaments as thick as small twine, and of a blackish-purple 

 colour. These are beset with scattered branches of uncer- 

 tain length. Along the branches, at irregular intervals, 

 clusters of slender ramuli are disposed." The colour is 

 generally dark brownish-purple ; the substance is soft, soon 

 decomposing in fresh water. There is a fine figure of it, 

 and the different kinds of fruit, in Phyc. Brit., PL cxcv. 

 The plate in Dillwyn^s ' British Confervas' is both good and 

 interesting, for ^the drawing from which it was taken was 

 made by Miss Hutchins, and communicated by her to Mr. 

 D. Turner, who sent it to Mr. Dillwyn. 



16. Polysiphonia pibrillosa, Greville. 



Hab. Eocks in the sea. Annual. Summer. 



This is a pretty species, common in England, Scotland, 

 and Ireland. It is large, the frond being from 6-10 inches, 

 the main stem nearly half a line in diameter ; the branches 

 in the upper part clothed with slender, finely divided 



