GRASS-GREEN SEAWEEDS 
“WINHERE can hardly be a more fascinating group of plants 
than this, whether to the strictly scientific botanist or to 
the more catholic lover of nature. The green alge are among 
the most widely diffused of plant forms. They grow practically 
in every place where enough moisture, together with light and 
air, is to be had. Between tide-marks on almost every coast, 
floating on the surface of the deep sea, covering damp earth, 
walls, palings, and tree-trunks, sticking to the surface of leaves 
in the moist atmosphere of tropical forests and jungles, and in- 
habiting almost every river, brook, pond, ditch, or casual pool of 
rain-water in all quarters of the globe, are members of this 
ubiquitous group to be found.” } 
The grass-green seaweeds are more simple in structure, and 
therefore are lower in order, than the red or brown alge. They 
are among the lowest of all plants, many of them being minute 
single cells. They abound in fresh as well as in salt water, and 
in this respect differ from the other groups, the red and the brown 
algee being almost exclusively marine plants. 
As one approaches the shore, the attention is often attracted 
by the green mantle which covers everything overflowed by the 
tides. This consists largely of the confervoid alga, which are 
very abundant and are found almost everywhere. They are 
dense tufts of fine thread-like plants, often matted at the base; 
sometimes they are sponge-like, floating masses. 
The Ulvacee, the plants next higher in order, are the first 
which assume ribbon- and leaf-like expansions, and usually first 
engage the attention of the collector. 
1 Kerner. 
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