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Show 20 7be Hi.ftory of P L A N T S. cations. The plant grows to three or four feet high,_ and is very fingular in this, that the branches do not go off every way from it, but all fl:and in the fame plane, fo as to make it quite fl at and thin, though extended to a great breadth. The fmaller ramifications are extreamly nu!J;!erous, and fiand very clofe; they meet continually, and, wherever they do fo, they inofculate with one another, fo as to form in the whole a kind of net-work, with holes or meilies of different fize. The plant is compofed of a tough, firm, and flexile matter, and is covered with a beautiful purplia1 crufl of a gritty fubt1ance, with a multitude of papilla! and holes in it. The extremities of the ramifications are extreamly fine and Bender. This fpecies is frequent about the fhores of the ifland of Ceylon, and in many parts of the Eaft. The hard cr ufl: eaiily brea ks off from this as well as the other fpeci es of this genus, fo that we frequently meet with them ei ther in part or entirely naked. M of\: of the botanical writers have defcribed it. CluGus calls jt, Planta marina retiformis; and Tournefort, Lithophytum reticulatum aliud purpurafcens. After the defc riptions of thefe, which are the mofl: fingular fpecies of the Campylia, the others will be eafily difiingoiilied merely by their names : They are, I. The branched Campylium, with a white cruft. 2 . The lefs branched Campylium, with a purple cruft. 3. The fmaller Campylium, with a yellow, puncrated cruft. 4 · The nodofe Campylium, with a white crufl:. 5· The grey rugofe Campylium, with a warty crufi. 6. The branched Campylium, with a thin, fmooth, yellow cruft. 7· The great ramofe Campylium, with a grey crufi:. 8. The great Campylium, with a blackiib nodofe cruft. 9· The polypody-like Campylium, with a white crufl:. 10. The flat branched Campylium, with a greyifh crufl:. 1 r. The black hairy Campylium. 12. The whitifh hairy Campylium. I 3· The convoluted, black, fetaceous Campylium. I 4· The thick-branched, variegated, white and yellow crufl:ed Campylium. 1 5· The erecr, ramofe, tamari:fk-like Campylium. I 6. The nodofe and corniculate Campylium. 17. The prickly fennel-like Campylium. 18. The flatbranched reticulated Campylium. 1 9· The abrotanum leaved white crufi:ed Campylium. 20. The cyprefs-like Campylium. 21. The ilender branched Campylium, with a red and yellow cruft. S U B M A R l N E S. C!afs the Second. Genus the Second. S P 0 N G I A. S P 0 N G I A is a genus of Submarines, confill:ing of a foft, tough, and elall:ic matte r, formed ufually into rude moffes of a cavernous fi:rucrure, and having very little of the appearance of plants. Upon a nice examination, thefe plants appear to be compofed of capillary fibres, which are hollow, and are implicated in an amazing manner, and furrounded by thin membranes, which arrange them into a cellular form. The fl:rutl:ure and confi:ituent matter of the fpunge renders it the fi ttell: of all bodies to imbibe a great quantity of any fiu id, and on a fl: rong pre.ffure to part with almofl: the whole quantity again. r . Spongia cellulis majufculis. Spunge with moderately large holes. This is the fpunge in common ufe with us on many occafions. It is a mere fhapelefs mafs, growing under water: it is affixed to the rocks by a. broad and firm bafe, and thence expands it!elf every way into a large ,and thick irregular lump, confi !ling of a tough matter, arranged into large pore8. Its colour is a pale brown. It is frequent on the coafis of the Mediterranean, and in many other places; and, wherever it lies fo that it can be eafily come at, is taken up, and proves a very profitable branch of commerce. Tournefort calls this fpecies Spongia ad ufum prrefl:antiffima fo raminibus exiguis ; but there are other fpecies, the foramina of which are fmall er. · 2 . Spo11gia 'lbe Hijloty of P L A N T S. z, Spmzgia cellulis maximis. Spunge with large cavities. This is difiinguilhable from the former fpecies, as well by the largenefs of it's cells, as by it's general appearance. Th~ former is u lually fou~d li_n maffes as thick as. they are long ; this, on the contrary, 1s almo.£1: always met With m flat or hollowed p1eces: it ufually adheres to the rocks by a broad bafe, from whenc.e it _expands every "':"•lY in a ci rcular, or lefs regular fo rm, to the extent of a foot or two 111 d1ameter, and with three or four inches of thicknefs: It frequently is met with fmaller than this, fometimes much larae r. It fometimes expands itfe lf quite Bat, fometimes it is umbilicated, rifing every way fi·om the root, fo as to form a kind of bafon; and fometimes th~ bafe _rifes to an inch or more in height, and the body of the fjJunge thence expands 1tfelf mto a hollow form, large.fi: at top, and fmaller at bottom: in whichever of thefe ilates it is found, it's holes are always much larger than thofe of the other, and it's fub!lance coarfe r. Authors have made three fpecies of it in it's three principal varieties of form~ when quite flat, it is the Spongia compreffa magna of Bauhine, &c. when in it's hollow form, without a pedicle, it is the Spongia ingens anornala pelvim referens of Boerhaave; and, when hollow with a pedicle, it is the Spongia infundibuliformis of Clufius, and of almofi: all the authors fince his time. It is frequent in all thefe appearances about the Cape of Good-Hope, and in fame of the feas nearer home : it is often brought to us infi:ead of the firfi: kind, but it is not nearly fo good. 3. Spongia cellulis minimis ramrfa. Branched Spunge with very fmall cellules. Th_is is of a very different appearance from either of the former ; it is long, and divided into branches. I t ufually grows to fome fione by a firm and not very broad bafe, fi·om which it rifes with two or three branches, of the thicknefs of a finger; thefe each of them divide into feveral others, and thofe are fometimes branched again: the feveral r amifications a1·e roundifh, but fomewhat flatted; they are of the fame fub!lance with the other Spunges, but more denfely put together, and the cavities much finaller. The colour is a pale brown. The length of the whole plant is often ten or twelve inches. I t grows on rocks about the iliores of Italy, and in many other places. Tournefort, and others, have defcribed it under the name of Spongia ramofa; Lobel calls it Confe rvre marinre genus. This fpecies fometimes grows lingle, not branched, and extends to a great length. In this fiate Plumier has dcfcribed it under the name of Spongia Americana longiffima funiculo fi milis; and in like manner the firfi: fpecies, in it's feveral variety of ibapes, has been defcribed as feveral fpecies, under the names of Spongia tubo fimilis, Spongia favo fimilis, Spongia globofa, and the like. The fpecies of Sponge have, indeed, been increafed beyond all bounds by the error of taking variet ies for di!l inB: kinds : the only real difi:inB: fpecies beiide thofe already defcribcd are, I. The fhrubby , branched Sponge, with moderately large holes. .2. The branched, ri ver Spungc. 3 . The hairy Spunge ; and, 4· The woolly Spunge. S U B M A R I N E S. Clajs the Second. Genus the 'Ihird. F U C U S. F U C US is a genus of Submarines, confi!ling of a tough matter, formed into a k ind of leaves, which are flat, and are varioufly rlivaricated, fometimes dichotom~ ufly, fometimes perfeCl:ly irregularly; and which have forne appearance of frucrificatlon, in punCl:uated tubercles, covering oblong veiicles, taken by Linnreus to be male flowers ; and fmooth, roundiili veficles, hollow, and interwoven with filaments, which appear to him to be.fcmale flowers. Mr de Reaumur has the honour of being the difcoverer of this fruB:ification , which Linn~us has from him, and does him due honour for, but there requ ire further obfervations to confirm it. G I. Fucz1s |