FUCUS OR ROCKWEED 



the fucus vesiculosus, because of its little bladders 

 or air vessels. These are oval and are imbedded in the 

 frond each side of the midrib. There are from one 

 to several pairs in each 

 frond. 



You can find branches 

 with spores at the sea- 

 shore in winter or in early 

 spring. If you hold the 

 fronds between your eye 

 and the light you can see 

 the yellow fruit vessels. 

 Cut through the end of a 

 branch and you will find 

 a mass of hard gelatine 

 in which are the spore 

 cases. 



Another common 



, , . A Rockweed. The Light - Colored 



rockweed is the knotty Spots are Air Q^ 



fucus. It gets this name 



from the knots or swellings which the air vessels make 

 in the fronds. There is a very narrow frond of the 

 same width throughout. Its branches do not fork as 

 in the other kinds, but it puts out branches of different 

 lengths from the sides of the main stem. With these 

 are short branchlets whose wider ends thicken and 

 bear the spore cases. 



The third rockweed found on the Atlantic coast 



137 



