100 SEA MOSSES, 



name of "Dulse" thai it seems Junlly i. ry to 



give a jwrtinibr dcscripiion of it. As its name vn\-^. 

 it is a reti meml)rane. Krom a small, hard d. .. i 

 wry short, round stem arises for one-fourth of an 

 inrh or so, and then spreads out into a broad, thin. 

 fan-shai>e<l nuMnbrane, three to twelve inches or more 

 high, destitute alike of mitlrib and veiii- Hut it is 

 cleft from top to l>ottom, or nearly, into many v 

 sha|K.Ml sejcments. Hie main segments arc cleft down 

 half way or so. giving them also, and the whole pl.int, 

 somewhat the ainnrarance of a hand with the i , > 

 spread out. The margins of the frond are usually 

 quite entire, but the ends of the " fin - - " -' "it 

 in a little way, to show where other UiviMona would 



come. 



'I*he plant, however, is variable, sometimes gro\v 

 a foot or more high, a narrow leathery strap. ; 

 along the sides with leaflets, and sumi I with 



several palmately divided segments. It is a jK-rennial, 

 and the old fron<ls arc generally much thicker than 

 the young ones. 1 have some very thin, quite trans- 

 lucent s|K!cimens from Sweden. Hut my British and 

 SpitslKTgen plants are thicker, like our American 



forms. 



It is of a ilark red or wine color. It grows on 

 rocks, and on the I'ucus, and on stems of Laminana, 



