934 CRYPTOGAMIA ALGM. 



ufually fan-fhaped and compound ; from one 

 to fix inches in the wideft part, varioiifly di- 

 vided into two, three, five, or more feg^ 

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



ments are often bifid or trifid at the extremi- 

 ties, aflliming a kind of dichotomous growth. 



The margins of the leaves and legments are ge- 

 nerally intire, but fometimes undulated and 

 fometimes proliferous. 



The frudlifications are unknown, but we have 

 fometimes obferved fmall, oval, pedunculated 

 ligaments growing out 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 

 y '' 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 muft be obferv'd, that it varies 

 ' ' much in thitknefs, and is fometimes fo firm as 



to rtfemble apiece of leather; but is always 

 tran. parent. 



In this lafc (late it is generally large, as well as 

 thick, and feems to be the kind mentioned by 

 Mr. Ray under the tame of 



FUCUS 



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