The English flora - SeaweedAfrica

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Hygrqcrocis,] ALGiE CONFERVOIDLliE. 383
tufts or continuous strata, much branched ; branches very erect, almost
appressed, long and virgate, more or less furnished with short ramuli.
Colour, in «. rose or blood-red ; in j3. dull bluish grey. Capsules very
minute, tufted on the lower ramuli. A most beautiful plant, a good
deal resembling Cd/ilhamnion virgatulum, under the microscope, and very
similar in structure : /3. is smaller and less branched ; but there are
insensible gradations.— Mr. Arnott informs me, that a specimen in his
possession, from Dilhvyn, proves the Conf. nana of that author to be
identical with the present.
82. Protonema. Ag. Protonema.
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Filame?its subarticulated, branched, rooting, mostly green.
Name, ^orog.first, or primary, and ^/i«, a thread.—The following
obscure productions are probably rudimentary mosses. P. velutinum,
Ag. (the well known Byssus velutina) having been
proved to be merely the commencement of Polytrichum aloides,
I have omitted.
1. P. umbrosum, Ag. (shaded Frotonema); stratum velvetty
green, filaments erect obtuse fastigiate fragile, articulations gibbous.
Ag. Syst. Alg. p. 43.— Conferva umbrosa, Dilhv. Conf.
t. 61.
On damp ground.
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2. P. cryptdrum, Ag. (Cave Protonema'); filaments dichotomous
thrice
green, branches divaricating acuminated, articulations
as long as broad. Ag. Syst. Alg. p. 44.— Conferva
cryplarum, Dillw. Conf. Syn. t. D. E. Bot. t. 2588.
In caves, first observed by R. Brown, Esq.—Agardh suspects this
may be the young of some Phascum.
3. P. Achdrii, Ag. (Acharian Protonema); filaments brownigh-green
branched erect, articulations twice or thrice as long
as broad, joints contracted. Ag. Syst. Alg. p. 44.— Conferva
Achani, Dillw. Conf.
On damp shady l>: I
t. 69,
4. P. OrtkdtiricAi, Ag. (parasitical Protonema); filaments
olivaceous minute branched obtuse erect, articulations about
m long as broad Ag. Syst. Alg. p. 44.— Conferva Orthotrichi,
Dillw. Conf. i. 89— C. muacicola, 1-. Bot.t. L638.
On tin- leaves and Btemfl t various Orthotrichai common.
5. I*, muscicola, Ag, (chestnut-coloured Protonema)} filaments
brown branched, branches alternate divaricate subulate, articu-
.
lations thrice a-
castanea, Dillw.
longas broad. Ag. Syst. Alg. />. 45.— ('///< n/a
('"if. Syn. p. 72. E. Hot. t. 1701.—C ma
cola, Web. * i Mohr.
in Lady places, among mossi
I Ivi.uin i:.» [s. .'v. Hygrooro
Filaments hyaline, interwoven into an uniform membrane or
gelatine.— Name fe longing to irt< r. and ..