J72 CLASS CRYPTOGAMIA. 



they received that name on account of some supposed virtue 

 in curing diseases of the liver, or whether it was because they 

 were thought to resemble the lobes or divisions of the liver. 

 One of the most common genera of this order is the Junger- 

 mannia ; you may here see (Fig. 129) a species of this, the 

 tomplanata, with its parts as represented under a magnifier. 



Fig. 129. 



(a) A plant of natural size in fruit. (6) The fruit magnified, 

 showing the sheath, the peduncle rising from it, and the cap- 

 sule at top not yet burst, (c) The capsule splitting and dis- 

 charging the seeds, (d) The capsule empty, showing its four 

 valves. 



AlgCB, Or SEA WEEDS. 



The 4th order includes the sea weeds and frog spittle ; these 

 have leathery fronds, with fine dust-like seed, enclosed in in- 

 flated portions of the frond. They are almost always aquatics, 

 generally green or reddish. One genus of this family is the 

 Fucus (in the plural Fad) ; these plants with some others of 

 this order, swim on the waters of the ocean. The FUCUS na- 

 t&nsy sometimes called the gulf- weed, is very abundant in the 

 Gulf of Florida >; and is found in various parts of the ocean, 

 forming masses or floating fields, many miles in extent. The 

 plant seems to possess no distinct root, though it perhaps origin- 

 ally vegetated on some sea-beaten shore, from whence it was 

 by accident thrown upon the ocean's wave. 



The Fucus giganteus is said to have a frond of immense 

 length ; from whence its specific name, signifying gigantic. 



Sea weeds Fuel Gulf weed. 



