350 ALG^ CONFERVOIDEJE. [Conferva. 



1 . B. setigera, Ag. (setigerous Bulbochcete). Ag. Syst.Alg.p. 123. 

 — Conferva setigera, Both, Cat. Bot. v. 3. t. S.f. 1 — Conferva 

 vivipara, Dillw. Conf. t. 59 — a. branches erect. — /3. branches re- 

 flexed secund. 



On fresh-water plants, in lakes, bogs, &c. — 0. on Char a aspera, at 

 Holyhead, W. Wilson, Esq. — Filaments ^-^inch long, forming a densely 

 woolly covering on the affected plant. Colour a pale dull-green. 



66. Conferva.* Ag. Conferva. 



Filaments articulated, free, distinct, uniform, simple or 

 branched. Fruit (?) an internal coloured granular mass, (en- 

 dochrome). Colour green, rarely purple or orange. — Name 

 derived from conferruminare, to consolidate ; some of the species 

 being considered by the ancients useful in the healing of frac- 

 tured limbs. 



A. filaments simple. 



a. filaments decumbe?it, arachnoid, forming strata, of a purple 

 colour. — Alpine bogs. 



1. C. ericetorum, Roth, {Moor Conferva); filaments very 

 slender simple forming a thin dull-purple stratum, articulations 

 a little longer than broad, endochrome dark-coloured filling the 

 tube finally bipartite unaltered in drying. — Dillw. Conf. t. 1. 

 E. Bot. t. 1553. Grev. Crypt. Fl. t. 261 ? 



On dry heaths, abundant : occasionally in water. 



2. C. purpurdscens, Carm. (purple Conferva); filaments 

 very slender simple forming a cloudy floating purple stratum, 

 articulations once or twice as long as broad, endochrome col- 

 lapsed pale rarely filling the tube. — C. ericetorum, (3. aquatica, 

 Ag. Syst. Alg.p. 87, (in part?) 



In old turf-pits, and boggy pools, common.-—" At first occurring as a 

 dusky green cloud, diffused throughout the water, gradually changing 

 to a pretty bright purple and rising in a bullated stratum to the surface. 

 Granular mass collapsed into a great variety of forms, generally attached 

 to one side of the tube. It adheres firmly to paper. With C. ericeto- 

 rum it has no affinity, except in colour." Carm. MSS. 



3. C. alpina, Bory, (alpine Conferva) ; filaments simple very 

 slender purple, articulations 4 times as long as broad, endo- 

 chrome collapsed rarely filling the tube — Lyngb. Hydroph. 

 Dan. t. 47. Grev. Crypt. Fl t. 261./. 2. 



Subalpine rivulets: abundant in the Highlands of Scotland, Dr. 

 Greville. 



b. filaments elongated, floating, rarely attached, flaccid, forming 

 green strata. — Fresh-icater. 



4. C. bombycina, Ag. (silky Conferva); filaments excessively 



* Though fully sensible of the heterogeneous character of this genus, I pre- 

 fer retaining it as established by Agardh, until the structure of the species be 

 better understood. 



