130 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES CONFERVA 



Conferva, tlie name of a genus forming part of the Linnsean 

 order Algse, whicli has by modern botanists been separated into 

 different families — Conferva and its allies forming one termed 

 Confervaceae, of which about 350 species are recorded. They 

 vary considerably in habit, from microscopic globules, simple 

 hair or thread like, or united forming a web, to broad ribbon- 

 like expansions. They grow on rocks, or in fresh or salt water, 

 or on the surface of moist ground, stones, or other bodies, some- 

 times like slime, scum, or jelly. A few only, such as Laver 

 (which see), are of economic value. Some, by their rapid growth 

 and union, and the extent of surface they occupy with their 

 different colours of red, green, and black, form conspicuous objects 

 in nature. For instance, in Angola, Western tropical Africa, the 

 mountain rocks during the rainy season become striped and 

 ultimately covered with a black mantle, which, when the season 

 becomes dry, peels off like paper, and the rocks assume their 

 natural grey tint, this singular appearance being due to the 

 rapid growth of a Conferva called Scytonema cliorogra'phiGum. 

 In this country several species of Conferva are extremely 

 troublesome in ornamental ponds, lakes, and plant aquariums, 

 covering the surface with a fetid scum, or in flannel-like masses. 

 Sometimes the water becomes of a green colour, and thick. This 

 is caused by a microscopic globular alga that increases rapidly, 

 floating in clusters of such density as to give the water the 

 appearance above stated. It has received the name of Clath- 

 rocystes ceruginosa. 



Contrayerva Root, a name given to the rhizome of Dorstenia 

 contrayerva, a perennial of the Nettle family (Urticacese), native 

 of Brazil. The root is said to possess medical properties, and is 

 imported into this country. 



Cooper's Wood (Fomaderris apetala), a moderate - sized 

 erect branching tree of the Buckthorn family (Ehamnacese), 

 native of New South Wales and Tasmania. Its wood is hard, 

 and is used for staves for casks and for many other purposes. 



Copaiva. (See Balsam Copaiva.) 



Copai-yb Wood, a name in Guiana for Vochysia guiancnsis, 



