Fig. 326.a CONFERVA ^REA. 



Colour. A beautiful yellow-green; fading in the herbarium to a dirty white. 



Substance. Harsh and brittle; but unable to support itself when removed from the 

 water. 



Character of Frond. Long, upright, unbranched, jointed threads {filaments), as thick 

 as hogs' bristles; growing in tufts from a disc-like root. 



Joints. About as long as broad, generally; occasionally longer; visible to the naked 

 eye; filled with green colouring matter {endoclirome), which in drying runs 

 close up to the partitions (dissepiments) leaving the middle empty. 



Measurement. From 3 to 12 inches long. 



Fructification. As before in Cladoplwra. 



Habitat. Our coasts generally. On sand-covered rocks between tide-marks. Fre- 

 quent. 



Resembling G. Melagonium, but more tufted; softer; and not nearly so stiff. 



Fig. 326.b CONFERVA MELAGONIUM. 



Colour. Dark green. 

 Substance. Stiff; wiry; rigid. 



Cliaracter of Frond. Long, upright, unbranched, jointed threads {filaments), thicker 

 than hogs' bristles; a few (sometimes but one) growing together from a disc- 

 like root. 



Joints. Twice as long as broad, filled with dark green colouring matter {endoclirome?). 

 Partition-lines {dissepiments) somewhat contracted; very narrow. 



Measurement. From 5 to 8 inches high. 



Fructification. As before. 



Habitat. Our coasts generally. On rocks at low-water mark. Not common any- 

 where. 



Springs occasionally in an aquarium. 



Fig. 327. CONFERVA COLLABENS. 



Colo7ir. A splendid glossy, verdigris-green. 

 Substance. Soft; gelatinous; flabby; slippery. 



Character of Frond. A large tuft of long, straight, jointed threads (filaments'), 

 unbranched; growing from a piece of deal. Filaments of extraordinarily 

 various thicknesses. 



Joints. From once to once and a half as long as broad; at first filled with a very 

 dense green colouring matter (endochrome) , which afterwards contracts into a 

 dark spot in the centre. 



Measurement. Three or 4 inches long. 



Fructification. Minute seeds (zoospores) formed of the colouring matter in the joints, 

 collected into a round central mass (sporidium), which in due time bursts out. 



Habitat. Once found upon floating timber on the beach at Yarmouth. 



Now Hormotriclmm collabens. 



64 



