40 COMMON SEAWEEDS. 



ECTOCABPUS LITOEALIS. 



(Name from the Greek, signifying "external" and "a fruit.") 



"We cannot examine a Fucus without noticing the 

 tufts of brown, shaggy filaments, from six to twelve 

 inches long, which hang on the frond. This is a sea- 

 weed of wide range from highest to lowest tide, infest- 

 ing the mighty Laminaria of the deep sea : it dries a 

 soft silky brown, and adheres well to paper. If we 

 prefer a good green to its natural colour, dip it for a 

 moment in boiling water, and it comes out a pleasant 

 grass green. 



There are fourteen species of Fctocarpus, parasitic 

 on various plants; for instance, the pencil-like tufts 

 on Ftilota Sericea and FTiodymenia are rarer kinds ; 

 Fctocarpus Splicer opliorus ; Fctocarpus Bracliatus ; 

 whilst the common Cladoplwra Bupestris is often in- 

 termingled with Fctocarpus Siliculosus. 



The generic character of JEctocarpus is olive or 

 brown thread-like tubes, jointed, flaccid, growing in 

 tufts upon other seaweeds, sometimes growing on the 

 mud of a low sea coast. 



Fructification. — Spore-cases of various shape, sphe- 

 rical, lanceolate, or imbedded in the branches, which 

 necessitates the use of a microscope to decide the 

 species and enjoy the beauty of this common weed; 

 for instance, 



Ectocaepus Silictjlostjs, which makes a beautiful 

 specimen on paper, is only distinguished by its fruit 

 from one that may be growing on the same Fucus, and 

 resembling it so nearly as to be mistaken for it. Upon 

 closer examination, even as we float it out on paper, 



