thickened sorus, on both surfaces of the leaflets, consisting of a vast number 

 of narrow-pyriform, stipitate, vertical spores, closely packed together, and 

 each separating at maturity into four sporules, in a cruciate manner. Colour 

 a transparent yellowish olive. 



This beautiful plant, which is scarcely known on the southern 

 coasts of England, abounds on all the Atlantic shores of the 

 British Islands, and extends throughout the whole of the north- 

 ern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The roughest water seems to 

 be most favourable to its existence, and I observe that it reaches 

 its greatest size and most luxuriant growth on some of the most 

 exposed parts of our western coasts. Yet the delicate membrane 

 of its leaf is easily torn, and in large specimens is very rarely 

 found free from laceration. 



It appears to be perennial ; the new growth being produced at 

 the base of the leafy-frond, as observed by Mrs. Griffiths in all 

 the Laminariece. This portion is always of a much paler colour 

 than the old, and soon after the commencement of the growing 

 season, the line of demarcation becomes distinctly visible : and 

 when it has progressed for some time, a contraction takes place at 

 the base of the old leaf, which gradually increases till the latter 

 falls, and a new frond is formed. The renewal of the leaflets 

 appears to be conducted in a similar manner. 



The, fructification commonly to be met with on full grown 

 specimens, consists of innumerable slender spores, closely packed 

 together, which according to Dr. Joseph Hooker, are compounded 

 of four sporules, divided by two lines, crossing at right angles. 

 The same close observer has discovered similar tetraspores in 

 many others of the Laminariece, in which, previously, the spores 

 were supposed to be simple. 



Alaria esculenta is eaten in some parts of Scotland, and 

 Ireland, as well as in Iceland, and the Fceroe Islands. For this 

 purpose the midrib, stripped of its membrane, only is used. It 

 has a sweetish taste, but is rather insipid. In Scotland it is 

 called Badderlocks or Hen- Ware ; and in Ireland, according to 

 Dr. Drummond, Murlins. 



Four other species, all nearly allied to this, are known to 

 botanists. They are natives of the northern shores of North 

 America, and of Asia. 



Fig. 1. Alaria esculenta; a small specimen : — of the natural size. 2. A 

 leaflet with a sorus: — slightly magnified. 3. Section of the sorus. 4. 

 Some of the spores removed : — highly magnified. 



