^54- CRYPTOGAMIA ALCE. 



about one-tenth of an inch v/ide, alternate, 



"" ^ gradually fhortened upwards, and pinnatifid, the 



fegments confifling of obtule callous dents. 



The plant varies extremely in the narrownefs or 



width of the branches, even from a line to a 



quarter of an inch ; as alfo in the diftance and 



figure of the dents, being fometimes plain and 



■ ' thinly fet, at other times cylindrical, and 



crowded together at the fummit into a fhort, 



oval, digitated bunch or clufter. It varies 



alfo in color, being net only yellow or olive, 



but fometimes dark red or purple. 



* The frudifications are fmall red feeds, vifible by 



' ' a microfcope, placed in the fubilance of the 



cylindrical dents, and in a circular forn-i near 



' ■ " their fummits. 



This Fucus has a hot tafte in the mouth, and is 

 therefore called Pepper Dulfe by the people in 

 Scotland; who frequently eat it as a falad, in 

 the fame manner as they do the F. palmatus^ 

 ». 19. 



f lid mis 24- F. frondibus cartilagineis comprefTis fupra-decom- 

 pofitis pinnatis, laciniis obtufis ? Hudf. FL Angl. 

 p. 473. n. 36. (FUCUS Ofmunda. Cmel. hiji> 

 fucor. p. 155. /. 16. /. 2.) 

 Fern-leav'd Fucus. Anglis. 



This 



