50 The Natural History of Jamaica.
But the most common variety of these Submarine Plants comes from the Coferva Marina, and Froth of the Sea, which makes them, by being cast on them, and dried with them, of a very Green, or dirty Yellow Colour.
Several of this Tribe, and more than of others, have been in Europe, they being to be met with at the first landing of Seafaring Men, and not growing in the inland parts, whither Sailers seldom go; add to this, that they are for the most part from their salter, harder, and drier Consistence, easilier kept from Corruption, and by their Beauty more tempting than other Vegetables so that the Cabinets of the Curious, Shops of Drugslers, Surgeons, Barbers and Apothecaries have abounded with greater Varieties of this, than any other kind.
The most part of Corals themselves having striated Lines, and many of them starry Pores, which are put by most Authors for the Characteristicks of Pores, as distinct from Corals; I shall not give those Corals I met with in Jamaica, the names of Pores which seems to belong to most, if not all of them to be found here; but only call them Corallia porosa, to distguish them from the more solid.
I shall put the Corallines with the Frutices Marini, or Sea-Shrubs, which are made up of a horny, tough Matter, with a Coralline incrustation, because most of them have a Nerve or Thread running through them, which although the last herein described seem to be quite destitute of, yet because of its not being erect, and smallness, it shall be reckoned by me a Coralline.
For the name Spongiae Spuriae, I make use of it here to signifie any fibrous, reticulated spongy Body, growing in the Sea, and thrown uo by the Waves, which notwithstanding it be very like in many things to a true Spunge, it is yet harder; so that 'tis not easily pressed, nor has much elasticity, neither doth it suck up Water as that does, which are the marks of true Sponges. These Bodies would by some be called Alcyonia.
The way of Propagation of this whole Tribe, which lies much from our Sight or Observation, has been very obscure, it seems to be different in the several Kinds of them, as to the harder of stony Plants, there is some account of their Propagation in giving a Description of the Astroites, or flat Stone: there is likewise somewhat of the growth of Corals, in the account of some of those I found growing; and as to the Fuci, or those of a softer or herbaceous Consistence, their Seed has been discovered, (and shewed me first) by the Industry of the Ingenious Herbarist, Mr. Samuel Doody, who found on many of this Kind folid Tubercles, or risings in some Seasons, wherein were lodged several round Seeds, as big as Mustard-Seed, which, when Ripe, the outward Membrane of the, Tubercle breaking, leaves the Seed to float up and down with the Waves. This Seed coming near Stones, or any solid Foundation, by means of a Mucilage it carries with it, sticks to them, and shoots forth Ligulae with Branches, and in time comes to its Perfection and due Magnitude.
Tab.17.
Fig. 1.
Tab. 18.
Fig. 1.
Tab. 19.I. Corallium asperum candicans adulterinum. Cap. pl. Jam. p.1. J.B. l.39. c.33. Raii hist. p 62. Gypsum Coralloides Boet. de Boot. p.321. Mus. Swam. p. 19. Corallium fossile exalbidum, pennam gallinaceam crassum, ramulis alias pluribus, saepius binis alias amputatis. Luid. lith. Brit. p. 6. No. 92, 93. Tab. 3. No. 92. An Corallii albi species minima duas uncias lata, e Scopulo gypseo enata. Mus. Swam. p. 17?
One Kind, or Variety of this, Tab, 17. Fig. i. was broad at Base, about two Inches, and about one quarter of an Inch thick, three or four Inches high whitish, smoother than any of the other Corals I met withal here, though a little rough, and having some few Pores, solid; and white within when broken, continuing
