CHORDARIACE^. 67 



This plant is annual. It grows on rocks, between 

 high- and low-water mark, and is moderately abundant 

 on our coasts. 



Chordaria divaricata. Spreading Chordaria. 



Frond irregularly divided ; branches spreading, flexuous, 

 their upper parts having short, forked branchlets. 



The only British habitat hitherto recorded for this 

 species is Belfast Lough. 



Genus XXVII. MESOGLOIA. 



Frond thread-iike, much branched, gelatinous, having an 

 axis composed of interlaced, longitudinal threads, covered 

 with gelatine, and a periphery of radiating, forked filaments 

 tipped with clusters of club-shaped, beaded fibres. Fructifi- 

 cation, obo\ ate spores developed among the fibres at the tips 

 of the filaments of the periphery. — Mesogloia, from the 

 Greek mesos, the middle, and gloios, glutinous. 



The species which compose this genus are mostly in- 

 habitants of cold climates. They are all extremely gela- 

 tinous, and may be distinguished by this character from 

 all other Olive Sea- weeds, none of which possess it in 

 anything like the same degree. 



Mesogloia vermicularis. Worm-like Mesogloia. 



Fronds tufted, from one to two feet high, gelatinous, 

 limp, and elastic, having a main stem of unequal thickness, 

 tapering at each extremity, and bearing numerous side- 

 branches, which are more or less pinnate or forked. 



The colour of this species is a brownish-olive. The 

 spores have no stems. 



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