BULLETIN 
TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB: 
Vol. XIV.) New York, October 4, 1887. (No. 10. 
Some Notes on Characee, 
By T. F. ALLEN, M.D. ae 
Plates LXXI-LXXV. 
A NEW NITELLA FROM THE FEEJEE ISLANDS.—(PLATE LXXL.) 
NITELLA MUTHNATA, x. sp.—Diarthrodactyla, homceo- — 
_ phylla, monoica, sub-flabellata, (sub-species V. mucronata, A. 
Br., sensu latissimo) Tenuis. Caulis ad 15 cm. longus, 0.475 
mm. crassus. Verticilli remoti difformes; inferiores steriles dif- 
fusi; superiores fertiles, brachyphylli, globoso-contracti, 6 foliis. 
Folia plerumque duplicato-divisa, segmentis primis ad 1.0-1.20 
longis, divisionis primis sterilibus; segmentis secundis ad 0.575- 
0.800 longis, 0.135-0.175 crassis, divisuris secundis fertilibus ; 
segmentis ultimis ad 0.425-0.500 longis, 0.100 crassis, bicellular- 
ibus, apice non-attenuatis, cellula secunda mucronem angustum 
et elongatum formante terminatis, (mucrone ad 0.080-0. 100 longo). 
Sporangia in divisuris secundis, so/itarza, coronula brevi, nucleo 
ovali, fusco, striis non prominulis, 5-gyrato, 0.265-0.285 longo. 
This species is represented by but one specimen in the herb- 
arium of Columbia College, New York, from Muthnata Island 
(one of the Feejee group), collected by the Wilkes Exploring 
Expedition, 1838-42, and distributed by the Smithsonian Insti- 
tution. The inferior verticils are spreading and sterile, but the 
fertile verticils are contracted and remote, almost moniliform in 
a kind of spike. The fertile portion of the plant is closely similar 
to XV. tenuissima. 
The leaves are never more than twice divided, which might 
bring the plant under the swb-flabellate section of the mucronata 
group. In this case its relations would be rather with V. drachy- 
teles, A. Br., from which it would differ by its solitary sporangia, 
which are never aggregated, and by other marks. 
