CRYPTOGAMIA ALG.^. go^ 



flowers, but others, with much more probabi- 

 hty, have concluded to be veffels defigned by 

 nature to convey nutriment to the plant -, both 

 becaufe thefe pencils are found upon the furface 

 of the leaf in every ftage of its growth, and at 

 all feafons of the year, and becaufe it is pretty- 

 certain that the Fuci receive no nourifhment by 

 the root, like other vegetables, but that their 

 roots ferve only to fix them to rocks, ftones, 

 {hells, and other fubftances to which they ad- 

 here. 



The plant when frefh is of a yellowilh green or 

 olive color, but dry'd turns fomewhat blackifh. 

 Its fubftance is tough and leathern, or rather 

 cartilaginous. 



A fmall fp€cies of Coralline frequently creeps upon 

 the furface of the leaf, called by Lirwjeus Sertu- 

 laria pumila. Syft. nat. 1306. and figiired by 

 Mr. Ellis in his Hiftory of Corallines. P/. V. 

 n. 8. a. A. p. 9. under the name of Sea-oak Co- 

 ralline. 



This fpecies affords a much lefs p-oportion of 

 lixivial falts than the following, eight ounces of 

 the afhes of the burnt plant yielding only three 

 ounces of fixed fait. 



The Butch cover their crabs and lobflers with this 

 FucuSy to keep them alive and moid, and pre- 

 fer it to any other, as being ^eftitute of thofe 

 M m m 4 mucous 



