280 L Vaginaria. 1. HYDROPHYTAE. PL cell, aph . 
A. Oscillator i deje. Thallus cylindrical, tubular, 
jointless, membranaceous, gelatinous, or rather leatherlike, 
mostly unbranched ; sporidia ringlike, often becoming glo- 
bular, in a single, parallel, transverse series within the 
tube, so that the tube appears annulated, with a pellucid 
border and interstices. 
Gen. I. 1. VAGINARIA. Sheath-moss „ 
Threads simple, gelatinous, parallel, decumbent, enclosed 
several together in a slippery membranaceous sheath; ends 
exserted, radiating, oscillating— -Green. 
Vaginaria vulgaris. Common sheath- moss* 
Sheath simple or branched, glaucous green, slippery ; 
threads equal, rings weak. 
Oscillatoria vaginata, Voucher , 202. 
Conferva vaginata, Dillwyn Syn. 40; Engl. Bot. 1995. 
Oscillatoria autumnalis vaginata, Agardh Syn. 107. 
Oscillatoria chthonoplastes 13, Lyngbye Hydr. Dan. 92. 
Damp gravel-walks, garden-pots. 
Tuft blackish or bluish green ; sheath twining, attenu- 
ated; when cut or pressed, it divides into smaller plants of 
the same kind, these interior plants being thrust out at the 
end or bursten sides gives it a branched appearance ; 
grows very quickly. — Another species of this genus grows 
at the bottom of the sea, where, by fixing the sand, it fa- 
vours the deposition of mud. 
II. 2. OSCILLATORIA, Vaucher. Quick-moss . 
Threads simple, membranaceous, gelatinous, straight, 
decumbent on a gelatinous, slimy bed ; oscillating. — Plant 
aquatic. 
1. Oscillatoria limosa.' Mud quick-inoss . 
Bed blackish green, slippery, very compact; threads ra- 
diating, very long, stiff, straight, bluish green. 
Conferva limosa, Roth Catal. 3, 197. 
Conferva fontinalis, ' Dillwyn , 64, partly. 
Oscillatoria Adansonia, Vouch. 194. 
Oscillatoria limosa, Agardh Disp. Alg. 33. 
Bottom of still waters; becoming free in the spring. 
Threads entangled; radii an inch long, blunt, oscillate 
very lively ; rings very close. 
