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Show The l:iijlory of P L A N T S. the thicknefs of a 1arge horfe-hair ; this is divided into two parts foon after it rifes from the bafe, and each of thefe are divided again, and their divifions fiill further divaricated, always in the dichotomous order. The whole plant is of a pale yellow colour, and of a tough texture. It grows to about three inches in height, and, what is fingular, its branches are all the way of the fame thicknefs to the top. It is fi·equent about our own fhores: I have met with it abundantly on the Bognar Rocks in Suifex. Plukenet calls it Fucus trichoides nofiras aurei coloris ramulorum apicibus furcatis. The other fpecies of Strongylium are, I. The fmall Strongylium, with long, bifid, or trifid extremities. 2. The thick, hairy Strongylium. 3· The fimple, ereCt, and lhort Strongylium : This grows to about an inch in height, and is thicke!l: at the bafe, and fmalleft at the top. 4· The wind-pipe Strongylium; and 5· A large and beautiful Strongylium, with very long, bifiid extremities. This laft grows to two feet, or more, in length, and is of Eafi-lndian origin. S U B M A R I N E S. Order the Third. Ge1zus the T'hird. A L G A. ALGA is a genus of Submarines, compofed of a tender and herbaceous matter» f01med into long, £lender, and undivided leaves, refembling thofe of grafs. I. Alga l01zgijjimo angu.fto folio. T'he long and narrow-leaved Alga. This is a very fingular plant, and has greatly the appearance of fom~ kind of grafs. I ts bafe is a hard, woody, thick, and oblong body, refembling a large root. T his creeps along tl1e bottom till it often extends to feveral yards in length, and is covered, in many places, with a number of filaments, which are the remains of decayed leaves. At different difiances there arife from this root clufi:ers of leaves, ten, twenty, or more together; they grow from a kind of bulb, or tuberofity, formed of the rotting bafes of other leaves, and extend themfelves to four feet, or more, in length, though feldom of more than half an inch in breadth. They are very fmooth on the furface, and become gradually fmaller from the bafe to the other extremity, where they terminate in a point. They are fometimes of a du{ky-green, which feems their natural colour, fometimes reddi0:1 or purpli!h; and fometimes white. The plant is extremely common on all our fhores, and on thofe of mo!l: other parts df Europe. Gerard calls it fim ply Alga; the generality of other authors, Alga angufi:ifolio vitrariorum, from the Venetian glafs-makers ufing it to pack up their glaffes in. Some have burnt it to allies for making an alkali-fait for glafs-making, but in this it is found to be greatly inferior to many other plants, and is now difufed. 2. Alga breviore folio. Shorter-leaved Alga. This is a much fmaller plant than the former. Its bafe is a tuberous matter, of the length and thicknefs of a man's finger, fafiened to the ground or bottom by many fibres; from this there rife, at the feveral joints, clufiers ofleaves of the fame graffy form with thofc of the former, but much 'broader in proportion to their length: they feldom exceed fix: inches in length, and are frequently near half an inch broad. They are of a tender and herbaceous texture, and often of a purpli{h or browni{h colour, thou gh their natural one is a du:fky green. This fpecies is frequent about the ifland of Sheppey, and in many other places on our coafis. Ray calls it Alga graminea minor. 3. Alga angu.flijjimo folio. The narrvwejl-leaved Alga. This in its manner of growth, refembles the others, but is evidently a difiinet fpecies, as its leaves are longer than thofe of the fir!l: kind, and hardly a quarter of an inch u!. / . 'l / ttl/ / I l l //'/ Jli:J • /.; ft• / 'tr'N ,j . ..~ ~ l~r-htvrfl .]. ,/IJ;,Jt1.Yitimt .3 . I ' |