COMMON SEAWEEDS. 



CORALLINE^.— CORALLINE TRIBE. 



" Involved in sea-wrack, here you find a race 

 Which Science, doubting, knows not where to place." 



Ceabbe. 



In the mid- tide rock-pools the seaweed gatherer is 

 puzzled by the tufted masses of white-jointed foliage 

 which line the rock, or over-grow the old limpet shells. 

 Some are large-jointed, and so unlike seaweeds that 

 formerly they were classed with zoophytes and corals; 

 some are like moss — fine white moss ; this is Jania. 

 Some corallines mimic the lichens, and spread over 

 the rock in purple and white patches, or run over a 

 seaweed like a scaly parasite ; these are Melobesia of 

 various kinds. They tint the rocks and stones with 

 beautiful pink, white, and purple colours, and are 

 formed by a deposit of carbonate of lime or vegetable 

 substance. There are three common species on our 

 shores: — Corallina Officinalis ; Jania; Melobesia. 



Generic character. — Thread-like fronds, jointed, 

 branched, mostly pinnate or with smaller branchlets, 

 coated with calcareous or lime deposit. 



CORALLINA OFFICINALIS. 



(The name from Corallium, coral.) 



This is the coarsest and largest kind, stunted and 

 often misshapen in the high-tide pools, but growing 

 finer and more beautiful as we advance towards the 

 deep sea. In the water it has a delicate purple tint, 

 but bleaches quickly to a dead white. The fruit is 



