934 CRYPTOGAMIA ALGJE. 



ufually fan-fliapcd and compound ; from one 

 to fix inches in the wideft part, varioufiy di- 

 vided into two, three, five, or more feg- ■ 

 ments, like a man's hand ; fome of which feg- 

 ments are often bifid or trifid at the extremi- j 

 ties, afiliming a kind of dichotomous growth, j 



The margins of the leaves and iegments are ge- 

 nerally intire, but fometimes undulated and> 

 fometimes proliferous. j 



The fru6lifications are unknown, but we have; 

 fometimes obferved fmall, oval, pedunculated' 

 ligaments growing oqt of the edges of the 

 leaves, which feem to be rudiments of future 

 plants, and which dropping perhaps from the 

 parent in due time, like the young of Polypes, 

 may anfwer the ends of propagation with the 

 fame facility as feeds. 



Though the fubftance of this plant is membra- 

 naceous, and often fo tender and delicate, in its 

 dry ftate, as to move in a warm hand as if ani- 

 mated ; yet it mult be obferv'd, that it varies 

 much in thicknefs, and is fometimes fo firm aj 

 to refemble a piece of leather ; but is always 

 tranfparent. 



In this laft ftate it is generally large, as well a; 

 thick, and feems to be the kind mentioned bj , 

 Mr. Ray under the name of 



FUCUJ 



i 



