The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. 1847. [Extracts from notes on algae]. In W. H. Harvey, Nereis Australis, or algae of the Southern Ocean: being figures and descriptions of marine plants, collected on the shores of the Cape of Good Hope, the extra-tropical Australian colonies, Tasmania, New Zealand, and the Antarctic regions; deposited in the herbarium of the Dublin University. London: Reeve Brothers, pp. 109-10.

Darwin sent his Beagle collection of algae to Irish botanist William Henry Harvey (1811-1866), Curator of the Herbarium, Trinity College, Dublin, who later published descriptions of many of them in this work, and printed two extracts from Darwin's accompanying notes on the specimens prepared for Harvey. The other Darwin specimens, without quotations from Darwin's notes, can be found in the Specimens section in Darwin Online in Harvey, Nereis Australis, 1847. Harvey even included Darwin's specimen numbers. These can also be found in Darwin's original Zoology notes F1840

For details see Porter, D. M. 1987. Darwin's notes on Beagle plants. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Historical Series. vol. 14(2): 145-233. F1827

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Melobesia mamillaris[…](TAB. XLI.)

Hab. Bahia (Brazil) in tidal pools, Mr. Darwin, No. 3854, 3855, 3856; also Port Famine, Terra del Feugo, No. 1840, 99, 197; St. Jago, Cape Verde; Algoa Bay,
Herb. Bowerbank. (v. s. in Herb. T. C. D. comm. cl. Darwin.)

"In one case I found a cone (ceramidium) placed on one side, instead of on the summit, of a branch. The greater number of the branches have white, rounded ends, and on some of these were appearances, as if a ceramidium had once existed there, and had since scaled off. In some branches there were traces of cavities low down in them. Colour, on the under surfaces of the branches paler than in Corallina officinalis, in other parts creamy, with a tinge of flesh-red." Darw. MSS.

Tab. 41. Melobesia mamillaris. Fig. 1. Frond, on a stone:—the natural size. 2. 3. Portions, of different ages. 4. A mamillary fertile branch. 5. A section of its apex, with ceramidium after maceration in acid:—magnified.

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Melobasia scabiosa

Hab. On stones, at Bahia, Mr. Darwin. No. 3857. (v. s. in Herb. T. C. D.)

"A distinct and very common species, coating smooth surfaces in tidal pools: colour darkish." Darw.

TAB. XLI. [Figs. 1-5]

Melobesia mammillaris

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)