384 Phyllospadix. [ZOE 
ing, leaving the anthers exposed, andffinally shedding the entire 
spathe. Anther-lobes dehiscent longitudinally, the septum 
between the two loculi persistent and membranous. Pollens 
filamentous, one-half to one millimeter long, floating on the sur- 
face of the sea, when first escapin 
Fruits compressed, beaked above, sagittate lobed below, seed 
coats loose and membranous. Embryo compressed consisting 
largely of an orbicular hypocotyl, 2-lobed posteriorly. Cotyledon 
thin, oblong descending between the hypocotyl lobes. 
Sclerenchyma tissue abundantly developed in the flowering 
stems and the leaves, wanting in the rhizoma. 
The genus differs from Zostera in habitat, number, size, posi- 
tion, and character of roots and lateral branches, in the rhizoma, 
the presence of sclerenchyma in the upright stems and leaves, in 
the dicecious spadices, in the rudimentary anthers on the pistil- 
late spadix, in well-developed retinacula, form of ovary and 
hypocotyl, mode of dehiscence of anther, and the presence of a 
permanent membrane between the loculi of the anther-cells. 
P. serrulaius Rupr., with ‘‘ leaves toothed,” from Alaska, may 
be at present dismissed as too little known, the description being 
based, it is said,-on leaf-fragments only. Our California species 
approach too closely to one another; ?. Scoulderi being variable, 
while P. Zorreyi is pretty constant in its characters; but from 
our present knowledge it would appear proper to retain them as 
species. 
The following species are the only ones detected on the coast 
of California, and the only ones certainly known to exist: 
P. ScoULERI, Hook., Flora Bor. Amer. ii, p. 171- (1838). 
Flowering stems not common, peduncles short, 1 to 6 cm. long. 
Pistillate spadix one; rarely two are present, one at each node. 
Ripened pistils larger than in the following species. Leaves flat 
and much thinner and lighter green, but with more sclerenchyma 
than in P. Zorreyi; variable in width, 1% to 2 mm. in mature 
plants, 3 or even 5 mm. on young sterile specimens; sterile 
- plants abundant, growing on the rocks in the heaviest surf and 
on the most exposed ocean shores. Specimens examined from . 
Tillamook Head, Or. (Henderson), from the mouth of the Rus- 
