66 BRITISH SEA-WEEDS. 



Li to siphon laminariee. Laminaria Lit o siphon. 



Eronds brown, tufted, from a quarter to half an inch long, 

 slightly tapering at the base, rounded at the apex, which is 

 clothed with minute fibres. 



This species is parasitic on Alaria (formerly Lami- 

 naria) esculent a } hence its name of laminariee, which I 

 should like to change to alaria! so as to denote cor- 

 rectly the plant on which it grows. There is, however, 

 a strong and well-founded objection to any alteration of 

 specific names, to which I gladly defer. 



Order V. CHORD AM ACE JE. 



Fronds gelatinous or cartilaginous, composed of interwoven , 

 vertical and horizontal filaments. Spores attached to the 

 filaments, and immersed in the frond. 



Genus XXVI. CHORDARIA. 



Proud cylindrical, branched, having a cartilaginous axis, 

 surrounded by a periphery of club-shaped, whorled threads, 

 and long, slender, gelatinous fibres. Fructification, egg- 

 shaped spores arranged among the threads of the peri- 

 phery. — Chordaria, from the Greek chorde, a string. 



Representatives of this genus are widely dispersed in 

 various latitudes, being found on the shores of Southern 

 Africa, North America, and Europe, extending as far 

 north as Iceland. 



Chordaria flagelliformis. Wh5p Chordaria. 



Fronds from a few inches to two feet or more long, 

 of uniform thickness throughout; stem simple, bearing 

 numerous, long, thread-like branches, almost destitute of 

 branchlets. 



