304 Allen : Three new Charas from California 



long, of the lower, 400 jx long about 125// broad at the base, taper- 

 ing to a sharp point ; upper series much exceeding the length of 

 lowest leaf-node. 



Leaves consist of 8 to 10 nodes, of which the ultimate segment 

 is naked, also lowest internode (gymnopus) ; the 3 or 4 lowest 

 nodes are fertile, the lowest node always so. The bracts of the leaf- 

 nodes are verticillate, or the posterior bracts only slightly shorter 

 than the anterior ; the latter are often as much as 1 200 [x long by 

 70 fx broad; the posterior bacts 400-500 //long by 68-70 fi broad; 

 the anterior bracts are generally twice as long as the oosporangium. 

 The lowest node is always fertile ; the lowest segment of the leaf 

 is not contracted, about 450 fx in diameter, by about 600 /x in length; 

 the antheridia about 350 ;x in diameter, the nucleus oosporangium 

 680 jx long by 290/^ broad, with 14 ridges. 



The nearest allied species is C. gymnopus A. Br., var. elegans 

 A. Br., from which it is distinguished by the size of the spines (in 

 elegans, 100 /x in diameter by 1 350 fx long, also thickly covering the 

 upper portion of the stems), the stipules and bracts also are much 

 longer ; in elegans the stipules 1 300 fx long by 50 fi diameter. The 

 relative breadth of the spines, stipules and bracts is greater in var. 

 sanctac-margaritae than in elegans. At Fig. 5 a comparison is made 

 between the lowest (naked) leaf-node of var. elegans and sanctae- 

 Margaritae, Fig. 2. 



Explanation of Plates 



Plate 10. Chara hirsuta Allen. Plant nat. size. 



Plate ii. Chara hirsuta Allen. Figs. 1, 2 X 25 ; 3 X 200; 4, 5 X 5°- 



Plate 12. Chara Hornemanni Nordhoffiae Allen. Plant ]^ nat. size. 



Plate 13. Chara Hornemanni Nordhoffiae Allen. Figs. I, 3, 6 X 2 5 *> 2, 4, 



5 X I2#. 



Plate 14. Chara gymnopus Sanctae-Margaritae Allen. Plant nat. size. 

 Plate 15. Chara gymnopus Sanctae-Margaritae Allen. Figs. 1, 4X5°; 2 > 



3> 4 X 25. 



