The English flora - SeaweedAfrica

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280 ALGiE INARTICULATE. [Dictyota.
ed with conferva-like (but not jointed) branches, of an olive-brown
colour. Branches much elongated and attenuated, except the ultimate
ramuli, which are short and remarkably slender. Substance slightly
gelatinous, so as to adhere to paper. Fructification, scattered seeds,
slightly imbedded in the frond."—From the MSS. of Capt. Carmichael,
who has examined this plant with much care in a recent state, I extract
the following remarks.— " Fronds gregarious, about the thickness
of a bristle, chestnut-coloured, repeatedly branched, branches patent at
the base, and beset with tapering flexuose ramuli ; the latter often
transversely striated as if jointed. Fructification unknown to me, and
I should suppose exceedingly rare, for I have examined hundreds of specimens
in vain in search of it. This plant is always more or less
clothed with conferva-like hairs, but these are so far from furnishing
any aid to a specific character, that there are very few of the smaller
Thalassiophytcs without them. It varies prodigiously in length, ranging
from one to fifteen feet, the latter proved by actual measurement."
18. Dictyota. Lamour. Dictyota.
Frond flat, highly reticulated, membranaceous, dichotomous
or irregularly cleft (palmato-flabelliform in D. atomarid).
Boot a mass of woolly filaments. Fructification composed of
scattered, or variously aggregated, somewhat prominent seeds,
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on both surfaces of the frond. Greu. Alg. Brit. p. 57. t. 10.
Name, br/,ruov, a net; the fronds, as in the preceding Genus,
appearing reticulated when magnified.
1. D. dichotoma, Lamour. (dichotomous Dictyota); frond olivegreen
linear dichotomously divided, seeds singly scattered or in
small irregular clusters Grev.Alg. Brit.})- 57. 1. 1 0. Zonaria ?
dic/iot, Ag. Sp. Alg. v. I. p. 133.— Ulva dichot., Huds.—E. Bot.
t. t. 774. (3. intricata; frond very narrow much branched
twisted and entangled. Grev.— Zonaria? dichot, (3. intricata,
Ag.Sp.Alg.v. I. p. 134.
In the sea, on the larger Algae and on stones ; not unfrequent. $. Shore
near Dumfries, Dr. Richardson. Plymouth, Mr. Sconce. ©. Summer.
Besides the scattered single seeds on this plant, Mrs. Griffiths finds, at
Sidmouth, other specimens " covered with transparent vesicles rising
above the surface : as they advance in age, a line of dark grains appears
within them, and they at length are filled with capsules, which form
groupes, and rise above the surface when ripe. In this state they are
extremely rare."
2. D.atomdria, Grev. (sprinkled Dictyota) ; frond olive-brown
palmato-flabelliform or cuneate irregularly cleft and laciniated,
seeds forming waved transverse lines with intermediate scattered
ones. Grev. Alg. Brit. p. 58. D. zonata and D. ciliata,
Lamour.—Zonaria atomaria, Ag. Sp. Alg. v.
atomaria,Woodw.—E. Bot. t. 419.
1. p. 128.— Ulva
Marine rocks, chiefly on the east and south of England, as at Cromer,
Corton and Gunton ; Sidmouth, Torquay and llfracombe Mrs. ( Griffiths).
1 Mrs. Griffiths further observes, that there is a mistake in Dr. Greville's
Algce Britannicce, (p. 58); as "it was the clusters and vesicles that were first
found by me in 1822, and not 'single seeds,' as there printed."
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