Fig. 166. MELOBESIA PUSTULATA. 



Colour. Dull-purple, or green. 

 Substance. Thickish; limy; smooth. 



Character of Frond. An expanded crust; uncertain in outline; oblong or divided; 

 forming irregular patches on the plant on which it grows; the largest form of 

 the sort. 



Measurement. The patches 1 or 3 inches in extent. 



Fructification. Only one kind known. Clustered strings of spores in numerous large, 

 rather prominent, round, conical capsules, with a hole at the top; sessile on 

 the frond. 



Salitat. Our coasts generally; chiefly south and west. On FJiyllopliora rubens and 

 other algse. Common. 



Dr. Harvey has little doubt that the four last-described Melohesias are but 

 differently advanced developments of one species. Dr. Johnston went further 

 still, considering them all hut imperfect developments of Gorallina officinalis; 

 whose base, it will be remembered, is a thin, circular, limy patch of a purplish 

 or pinky colour. 



Fig. 167. STENOGRAMME INTEREUPTA. 



Colour. Eose-red; very clear and pinky. 



Substance. Membranaceous; more rigid below than above. 



Character of Frond. Flat, fan-shaped or semicircular in general outline. Rising from 

 a short stalk ; deeply cut from the base into narrow slips (lacinifB) ; or the 

 lower portion undivided, the upper slit. (See figure.) LacinijB repeatedly 

 forked (^dichotomous) slightly widening upwards; their tips blunt. Root, a disc. 



Ifeasurement. From 3 to 5 inches long; and about the same in width across the 

 whole frond. 



Fructification. Of two kinds. 1. Minute spores immersed in the frond in dark, narrow, 

 nerve-like lines; running through the centre of each lacinia like a midrib. 

 2. Tetraspores in dark groups (sori) scattered on the surface. Very rare 

 in Britain. 



Habitat. Plymouth and Cork harbours, and a few stations on the south coast of 

 England. Washed ashore or dredged. Attached to stones in from five to 

 ten fathoms' water. Very rare. 



Fig. 168. GRACILARIA ERECTA. 



Colour. Pale or full red. 



Substance. Elastic; rigid; not adhering to paper. 



Character of Frond. Stiff, upright, tufted; slightly branched. Stems cylindrical; 



slender; simple, or once or twice forked (dichotomous). No branchlets, or 



very rarely. Fruiting in winter. 

 Measurement. One or 3 inches high. 



Fructification. Of two kinds. 1. A mass of minute spores in globose capsules clus- 

 tered together; external. 2. Tetraspores, contained in little pod-like branchlets 

 at the ends of the branches. 



Habitat. South coast of England. The flat bottoms of shallow rock-pools, near 

 low-water mark. Also in from four to five fathoms' water. Very rare. 



"When in perfect fructification this little plant is easily recognised," says 

 Dr. Harvey, "the clustered tubercles and lanceolate, pod-like tips being very 

 strikingly characteristic." 



72 



