CRYPTOGAMIA ALG^. 795 



piece of mechanifm, and highly deferving of a 

 tnicrofcopical examination. 

 The female frudifications are found upon both the 

 varieties before-mentioned, but chiefly upon 

 the firfi: or umbellated kind. They grow here 

 and there out of the difc or furface of the 

 leaves, in the fhape of fmall, green, elevated, 

 monopetalous, inverted-conical cups, with mem- 

 branaceous rims, irregularly crenated, contain- 

 ing many fmall, naked, round, compreflcd, 

 green feeds, or, as fome authors term them, 

 feminal leaves. Thcfe cups appear firfl: in Seftem" 

 hr, and continue all the Winter and fucceeding 

 Spring, but dry away before the males begin 

 to flied their powder, according to Dil'eniuSy 

 though it is extremely probable that the feeds are 

 at fome time or other impiegnatcd by its influ» 

 encc. 

 ^' There is yet a variety of this plant, by fome au- 

 thors confidercd as a fpecies. It is fmaller in 

 all its parts than the preceding, except the 

 umbellated heads, which are nearly ot the fame 

 fize. 1 he leaves are fhorter, paler green, and 

 lie over one another, are deftitute ot the black 

 purple veins, not fhining above, reticulated 

 with oblique lozenges, having each a punfture 

 in the centre, and more woolly underneath, 

 V/ith downy parallel veins running both ways 

 from the middle towards the margins. The aH- 

 thera of the floret in this is black and globu- 

 lar. ^ ■ 



Sec 



