J. GROVES: CHAROPHYTA. 69 
CHAROPHYTA. 
By James Groves, F.L.S. 
(PLATE 5.) 
NITELLA PSEUDO-FLABELLATA Braun in Braun & Nordstedt, Fragm. 
Monogr. Charac. 54 (1882)?  Dumbéa ; muddy ditch; on serpentine rock ; 
100 ft. April 1914 812 (part). 
In the absence of ripe fruit, I can only refer this doubtfully to N. pseudo- 
flabellata, itself an indefinite species which has never been properly diagnosed. 
From Braun’s remarks in the * Fragmente,’ it is evident that he was by no 
means satisfied as to the identity of the several plants which he had placed 
under the name, 
N. Comeronu, sp. nov. (Pl. 5.) 
Sect. Arthrodaetyle homæoclemæ macrodactyle flabellatee  glæo- 
cephalæ monoice. 
Caulis tenuis e. 400 u crassus. Ramuli normaliter 8, 3-4-plicato fureati, 
nodo infimo fere semper sterili. Radius primarius ramuli totam longitu- 
dinem dimidio æquans. Radii secundarii 6-8; tertiarii 5-7, omnes vulgo 
iterum furcati; quarternarii 5-6, quorum 1-2 sæpe iterum furcati ; quinarii 
4-6. Radü ultimi bicellulati elongati tenues (crass. 40-50 p) leviter incur- 
vati, cellulà inferiore ad apicem plus minusve angustata, cellulà superiore 
elongato-conicà acuta —>85 u longi, ad basem c. 25 w crassá. Verticilli 
fertiles in muco involuti, capitulas rotundas parvas ssepe formantes. 
Oogonia et antheridia ad furcas secundas et tertias posita. Oogonia solitaria 
ovoidea, ad basem aliquatenus, versus apicem insigniter, angustata, c. 400— 
450 u longa (coronula exelusá), 300-325 u lata, convolutiones c. 10 exhi- 
bentes. Coronula persistens, c. 35 & alta, 50 w lata. Oospora ellipsoidea, 
c. 300 u longa, 250 w lata, 190 crassa, atrofusca, liras prominentes c. 8 
exhibens ; membrana subtiliter granulata. Antheridium diametro c. 250 a. 
Dumbéa ; muddy ditch; on serpentine rock ; 100 ft. April 1914. 812 
(part). Baie Ba ; on mica-schist alluvium ; sea-level. July 1914. 1401. 
A small, slender, dark-green plant, apparently not more than three or four 
inches high. The outstanding points of difference between the other species 
of the group and N. Comptonii may be summarised as follows :—.JN. batracho- 
sperma Braun differs in the branchlets being only twice furcate, with the 
lowest node fertile and in the much smaller antheridium ; N. minuta. Alien, 
in the lower cell of the ultimate rays being rounded at the apex and the 
upper eell remarkably narrow, and in the fewer (6) and more pronounced 
ridges of the oospore; .V. leptosoma Nordst., in the branchlets being only 
twice furcate, with the lowest node fertile, and in the fertile whorls being 
disposed in short, interrupted spikes ; JV. intermedia Nordst., in the uniformly 
