GRACILARIA. 



dull red colour. Fructification ; 1, capsules containing a mass of 

 minute roundish seeds ; 2, roundish or oblong simple granules 

 imbedded in the frond of distinct plants. Greville. 



1346. G. lichenoides Greville. — Sphaerococcus lichenoides 

 Agardh. syst. alg. 233. Fucus lichenoides Turner Fuc. t. 113. 



f. a. Plocaria Candida Nees hor. berol. t. 6. — In the Indian Sea. 

 Frond cartilaginous, filiform, dichotomous; branches spreading, 

 acute, somewhat fastigiate. Capsules hemispherical, scattered. Agdh. 

 — Highly valued for food in Ceylon and other islands of the East. 



1347. G. compressa Grev. alg. britt. 125. — Sphaerococcus 

 compressus Agdh. syst. alg. 233. Sphaerococcus lichenoides 

 Grev. scott. crypt, fl. vi. t. 341. — Devonshire. 



Frond cartilaginous, brittle, between cylindrical and compressed, 

 dichotomous ; branches subdistichous, spreading, lax, gradually attenu- 

 ated to a subulate point. Grev. — Very like the last ; according to 

 Mrs. Griffiths it makes an excellent pickle and preserve, when fresh. 



1348. G. tenax Greville. — Sphaerococcus tenax Agdh. syst. 

 alg. 238. Fucus tenax Turner Ann. Bot. ii. t„ 15. hist. fuc. 

 t. 125. — Chinese seas. 



Frond somewhat gelatinous, slippery, filiform, dichotomous. Branches 

 spreading; the upper reflexed and acute. Capsules hemispherical, 

 sessile, scattered Agdh. — Used very extensively by the Chinese for the 

 same purposes as glue or gum arabic. 



CHONDRUS. 



Frond cartilaginous, dilating upwards into a flat, nerveless, 

 dichotomously divided frond, of a purplish or livid red colour. 

 Fructification, subspherical capsules in the substance of the frond, 

 (rarely supported on little stalks) and containing a mass of mi- 

 nute free seeds. Greville. 



1349. C. crispus Lyngb. hydroph. dan. p. 15. t. 4. Greville 

 alg. britt. 129. t. 15. — Sphaerococcus crispus Agdh. syst. alg. 

 219. Fucus crispus Linn. syst. nat. ii. 718. Turner hist, fucor. 



t. 216, 217 Rocks and stones in the sea, very common. 



(Carrageen, Irish Moss.) 



Root a disk throwing up tufts of many fronds. Fronds 2 to 12 inches 

 high, very narrow and subcylindrical at the base, but immediately becom- 

 ing flat, generally dilating from the base till it becomes 3 or 4 lines wide, 

 and then dividing repeatedly and dichotomously, each division spreading, 

 becoming narrower than the preceding one, and taking place at shorter 

 and shorter intervals ; the summits are bifid, the segments varying 

 greatly in length, rounded or acute, straight or curved, and often 

 twisted in such a manner as to give the curled appearance denoted in 

 the specific name. Fructification roundish or roundish-oval, subhemi- 

 sphencal. Capsules imbedded in the disk of the frond, prominent on 

 one side, and producing a concavity on the other, containing a mass of 

 minute roundish red seeds. Substance cartilaginous, in some varieties 

 approaching to horny, flexible and tough. Colour a deep purple-brown, 

 often tinged with purplish-red and paler at the summit, becoming green- 

 ish, and at length white in decav. When dry it is considerably darker, 

 631 s s 4 



