794 ' CRYPTOGAMIA ALGJE, 



., , nine, obtuie, thin, membranaceous fcgments, 

 plain on the upper fide, a little tumid and 

 icaly underneath, but, fo far as obfervations 

 have hitherto been made, barren of flowers and 

 feeds. They may therefore be called Neuters^ 

 till we are more acquainted with their ufe, and 

 ^. '' can give them a better name. They are at firft 



green above, and brownifli underneath, but in 

 decay turn totally brown. 

 ": •' The Jccond are males. 1 hey arife from the fame 

 , ' ' part of the leaves as the neuter ^ but from dif- 

 -»j • '^ '■ tind individual plants. They are at firft green, 

 - '' ' ■ nearly htmifphsrical and Jftriated, like fome of 

 . '. the agarics, and (land on very fhort pedicles, 



": . ' reddilh at the bafe, and befet with a few white 



' hairs. The pedicles afterwards grow two inches 

 high or more, and the convex or hemifpharical 

 -c: .-; head before mentioned, call'd by Linnaeus zPe- 



\o . . riantliiumy now divides almoft to the centre, in- 

 , " to eight, ten, or more linear green rays, with 



_ • their fides deflex'd, having as many pale, hairy, 



bladder-like purfes placed alternately between 

 them ; which purfes have each one valve, which 

 opens in the month of jfuly^ and which contains 

 v/ithin it four or five white monopctalous florets, 

 each of an hollow oval form, with four or five 

 fegmerrs on the rim. From the centre of each 

 floret anfes a fingie filament, bearing at the top 

 a funnel fhap'd anthers, dented on the rim, and 

 containing a yellow powder, affixed to elaftic 

 hairs. This is a moft curious and wonderful 



piece 



