lo8 Di\ GooDENouGH and Mr. Woodward^ Ohfcrvat'wm on 



Linn. Sp. PL 1628. Fl. Jng. p. 572. Withering, vol. 3. 

 p. 234. 



Habitat inter reie6lamenta maris. 



Radix^ callus explanatus — Frojis pedalis et ultra ramofifllma, caule- 

 ramifque teretibus, frequentifTime retis inftar implicitis — Folia al- 

 terna, feffilia, variant longitudine 1-2-3 uncialia; et lat.itudinem' 

 modo vix linenrem, modo plufquam uncialem attinent, ideoque 

 nunc lineari-lanceolata, nunc lanceolata, et nonnunquam ovali- 

 lanceolata dici poffint, formam autem qnalemcunque lanceolatam 

 femper confervant. Foliorum margines conftanter ferrati, ferratu-- 

 ris acutis diftantibus — Rami, veficulis globofis pedunculatis, et 

 frequentifTime proceffubus %liformibus terminatis, femper vacuis, 

 veftiti funt — Ramuli fru£tificationem fuftentantes, axillares, panicu- 

 lati aphylli, tuberculis 'minutis quaquaverfun> obfiti — Co/&r recentis 

 plantae flavefcens, ficcatae purpureus, nigrefcens. 



This plant, fo well known by the name of Gulf-weed, to all per- 

 fons who navigate the Atlantic Ocean, is defcribed by Linnseus as not 

 being fixed by any root, and being only found floating loofely in the 

 fea. It does not appear that any perfon has hitherto detefted it on 

 its native rocks, notwithftanding the immenfe quantities which are 

 conflantly feen between Europe and America ; but we have defcribed 

 the root on the authority of the fpecimen preferved in the Linn^an 

 Herbarium, and of Gmelin, who declares (p. 94), that he has in his 

 poffeflTion fpecimens with fragments of the rock adhering, and 

 one on which part of the orbicular bafe remains. The fpha:rical 

 veficles with which this fpecies always abounds, have been defcribed 

 as containing the frudification ; but thefe are always empty, and 

 are certainly only intended to give buoyancy to the plant, and to 

 enable it conflantly to remain on the furface of the waves. The 



aduaL 



