ECTOCAUPACEiE. 79 



into patches of various sizes ; branches few, erect, straight, 

 jointed, without branchlets, but with root-like fibres at the 

 lower part. Pructification, globular spores, without stalks, 

 either solitary or in clusters. 



This species is also rare. Bautry and Waterford, iu 

 Ireland; Orkney and A ppin, in Scotland; and Torbay, 

 Ilfraconabe, the Land's End, and Mount's Bay, in Eng- 

 land, are the only recorded habitats. 



Sphacelaria racemosa. Clustered Sphacelaria. 



" An inch in height, tufted, olivaceous, somewhat rigid, 

 the fronds dichotomous ; articulations equal in length and 

 breadth; capsules oval, racemose, pedunculate." — Oreville. 



The first specimen of this plant was found in the Frith 

 of Forth about 1821, by ray late kind friend. Sir John 

 Richardson, whose recent death has deprived more than 

 one department of science of a member whose place will 

 not be easily supplied. The spot has been since re- 

 peatedly searched, but neither there nor, until recently, 

 elsewhere were any additional specimens discovered. 

 Our knowledge of the species was, therefore, confined 

 entirely to one set of plants ; but as these were fortun- 

 ately in full fruit, the title of the plant to rank as a spe- 

 cies could be as definitely determined as though a large 

 number of specimens had been obtained. The plant has 

 been subsequently discovered in moderate abundance in 

 the Frith of Clyde, by Mr. Roger Kennedy. 



Genus XXXIV. ECTOCAEPUS. 



Frond jointed, much branched, flaccid. Fructification 

 scattered spores of various shapes, and pod-like, trans- 

 versely-striped granulas, propayula, formed of the whole. 



