F U C U S. 
90 
ley in Withering’s Bot. Arr. vol. iii. p, 241 : ‘If the F. 
veficulofus receives an injury or frafture in any part of the 
leaf, provided it be in a healthy vegetating Hate, it con- 
flantly throws out abundance of young leaves from the in¬ 
jured part. If even a fmall aperture be made in the mid¬ 
dle of it, a new leaf on either fide will be found to fhoot 
otit.’ Without this explanation it would appear extraor¬ 
dinary, that, where a branch is broken off, notonly a cluf- 
ter of new leaves Ihould fhoot from the fradfured end, but 
thatalfo numerous fimilar ones fhould be produced from 
the Tides of the broken branch; which we have obferved 
to take place. This will alfo account for the frequent ap¬ 
pearance of thefe new leaves on the fiirface of the root 
itfelf, even wliilft the plant is apparently in a perfeiStly 
uninjured ftate. 
“ The foil, or their growing near frefh water, or alto¬ 
gether difiant from it, makes a great difference in the fize 
and texture of thefe plants. On the more inland banks of 
the Severn, and in the extenfive aefluary in the north of 
Lancafiiire, formed by the influx of the Ken, Leven, and 
other ftreams, F. canaliculatus is fometimes found re¬ 
markably luxuriant. At Ilfracombe, where there is a 
very trifling influx of frefli water, F. fafligiatus grows fo 
flenderand compadl, that no inexperienced perfon would 
think it the fame as the large interceptus. We fuppofe thefe 
things principally occafioned by the vicinity or abfence of 
frefh dreams. At Ilfracombe, F. fibrofus grows fcarcely 
more than a foot high ; but we have feen it thrown up on 
the fhore at Weymouth after a violent dorm, literally 
appearing to us at fird fight to be the root of Tome great 
tree. The different appearances of multijidus are occa¬ 
fioned by differences of foil, fituation, or growth ; as are 
thofe of nodofus alfo. 
“ Some attention ought to be paid to the colotir and 
opacity of Fuci. If plants have lain long in the water, 
and been left by the reflux of the tide on the fliore, where 
they are neceflarily expofed to the power of the wind and 
fun^ the natural colour is oftentimes all difcharged ; they 
become white or black, &c. according to circumdances. 
.In drying Fuci, green and red colours retain their proper 
appearance, but the olivaceous colours ufually appear 
black. Wheie the change has been effedled by drying only, 
the original colour niay generally be deteifled by holding up 
the plant to a dronglighi of a candle or lamp. Fuci are alfo 
more or lefs-opake from a variety of caufes. Our v.iriety of 
faftigiatus called interceptus isin general opake : but the new 
branches produced beyond the rings at the extremity of 
the f'rons, that is after injury received, are green and 
fofuewhat pellucid ; for in almod ail plants the parts re¬ 
paired are of a fubdance and texture weaker and fofter 
than the found parts. The F. palmatus is a remarkable' 
indance of the difference'of opacity; fome fpecimens be¬ 
ing thin as paper and pellucid, and others of a perfedfly 
horny or leathery fubdance when dried. All Fuci are 
more or lefs pellucid and thin iti their firlf beginnings. 
“ The driufUire of the Fuci is fo very fingular, that 
were they not affixed by their bafe to the rocks, as terref- 
trial plants are by their roots to the ground, we diould be 
at a lofs how to trace any kind of analogy between them ; 
and yet it has been a favourite employment with all wri¬ 
ters; audit countenanced Reaumur in his hypothefis of 
Fuci being provided with ?sa/r and Jemale flowers. They 
are formed of one continued fubdance, of various textui e, 
from rite molt tender atid membranaceous to the mod firm 
and thick ; numerous beyond defcription, capable of be¬ 
ing turned to the ufe of man in many ways, both as to 
food and other conveniences, and affording protection and 
ftrpport to myriads-of the fubmarine inhabitants; All 
this marks the goodnefs of the ever-blefled Godhead, 
‘by whom they are and were created.’ That part in 
creation is not to be found, where fome principle does 
not invariably aCt beneficial to man.” 
I. Fucus ferratus, the ferrated fucus or fea wrack. The 
ferratures on the margin render this fpecies very diftincf. 
The nerve in the centre of the frond, frequently acquires 
the ftem.like form. The fummlts in their ripened (late 
are tough, folid, and not inflated, neither do they contain 
any woolly fubltance. The tubercles or pericarps are 
nearly of an ovate form, and at fird feem fcarcely at¬ 
tached to the Tides of the fiimmit ; although in mauirity 
feveral of them are found cloCely united to minute perfo¬ 
rations in the exterior furface of the fucus. Thefe vcf- 
fels confid of a callous fubdance, not much darker than 
that in which they are imbedded. The middle nerve ap¬ 
pears to terminate precifely at the part where the fruCfi- 
fications commence. The colour of the plant varies 
through feveral fhades of olive and yellowifii-brown. In 
the Fucus Plate 1. at fig. i. is diewn a branch of the fer¬ 
rated fucus ; a, tranfverfe feCfion of a piece of the branch, 
magnified, to exhibit the feeds ; b, the external covering. 
2. Fucus nodofus, or bladder fucus. This fpecies is fo 
well known, that any long defcription of it would be un- 
necelfary: the large elliptical veflTels or air-bladders, 
which form its mod confpic'uoiis character, and from 
which its trivial name is taken, fufficientiy didinguidi it 
from all other Britifh fpecies. Thefe velicles are folita- 
ry, diftant from each other, wider than the dalk, and de- 
creafe regularly in fize from the lowed to the uppermoft 
on each frond or branch. The lower part of the frond is 
ufually deditute of veficles as well as leaves ; but there is 
always a fmall veficle above the uppcrmod; leaves, from 
which the branch continues again naked to the fummit, 
which is obtufe. The didichous leaves in an advanced 
date are fwelled, replete with mucus, and contain nume¬ 
rous tubercles, each having a correfponding opening on 
the furface of the leaf. It is common on every part of the 
Britifh coad, on the rocks, and alfo on the piles and other 
wood-work of the harbours, and is often adorned with 
large tui ts of Conferva polymorpha, which appears particu¬ 
larly to attach itfelf to this plant, as (hewn at a a, fig. 2. 
Plate I. The veficles vary in (ize from the bignefs of 
a pea to that of a crow’s egg, and fome are even laiger. 
3. Fucus gigartinus. This is readily diftingnilhed by the 
fharp thorny appearance of the plant, and by its feffile 
globofe fmoptli tubercles. Murray, wlio fird gave a de- 
fcviptionof this plant, mentions the tubercle as fudained 
by a (hort footdalk, whlcb fubtends and is longer than 
the tubercle. No dependance however cun be placed 
upon this remark. The fructification is always feffile at 
tlie bafe or axilla of a little branch. In its perfett forin. 
this little branch projecls beyond the tubercle; but 
it is rarely found w ith any regularity iu this ftate ; for, iu 
confequence of th.e agitation of the fea, the branch is of¬ 
ten broken off; whence the tubercle appears in its true 
fituation, always feffile, fometimes Tingle on a main 
branch, fometimes double or treble on a litile'one, and 
not unfrequently terniiiial. Tlie frond appears fometimes 
to have roundifii branches ; but they are generally com- 
pj-elTed, the upper ones always To in a greater or lefs de¬ 
gree, as exhibited in the engraving at fig. 3 ; c, a fmall 
branch magnified, to diow the globules. 
4. Fucus concatenatus, or necklace fucus. The frond 
extends to half a foot or more in length, rifingfrom.a 
tough clubbed bafe, which frequently produces three or 
four obtufe excrefcences, from the Tides of which the 
branches originate in the form of linear Ihoots ; and thefe 
throw out in various directions (hort round fubulate 
leaves. The latter, as the plant advances towards matu¬ 
rity, extend in proportion, forming Tecondary branches, 
which frequently produce others. Thefe branches foon 
lofe their former habit by becoming fwollen and contract¬ 
ed nearly at equal diltances, fo as to form a concatenation 
of oblong veficles, liaving the appearance of pods or feed- 
veflTels. They contain nothing more than a clear gelati¬ 
nous fubltance. A great number of feeds crowded toge. 
therin (uch a maimer as to relemble minute warts, appear 
in every direction beneath the (urtace of the branches ; 
w hen magnified, they feem to be fixed in an annular forrrl ; 
leaving a fmall portion in the centre fome what tranfpa- 
rent. In maturity they become rather prominent, while 
