" ENDEAVOUR " SCIKINTIFIC RESULTS. 180 



cothecze similar to the laterals, but larger, one in front in the 

 axil of each hydrocladium and one lower clown, one at the back 

 of each axil. 



Gkmangial branch replacing a hydrocladium, commencing 

 with three or four internodes supporting slightly modified 

 hydrothecse; corbula (female?) composed of about fifteen pairs 

 of ribs, narrow at the base, but widening above into broad 

 leaflets which unite to form the closed corbula ; a lateral spur 

 projecting forward and outward from the distal side of each 

 leaflet close to the base, supporting a modified hydrotheca with 

 its lateral sarcothecse, and then continued into a leaf-like process, 

 sometimes very large, armed with few sarcot.hecce ; distal edges 

 of the corbula-leaflets giving rise to large leaf-like free-edged 

 wings directed outward and rising above the corbula, their 

 edges armed with sparsely-disposed sarcothecas ; one or two free 

 leaflets often at the distal or both ends of the corbula. 



Colour. Very pale brownish. 



Old specimens of this species, a foot or more in height, may 

 have a thickness of one and a half centimetres close to the base, 

 but the topmost two or three inches, which alone retain the 

 hydrocladia, are extremely slender. The stem is formed primarily 

 by the proximal portions of a succession of alternate branches. 

 The primary shoot, after giving off a lateral branch, continues on 

 its course for perhaps an inch or two, bearing hydrocladia, and 

 then terminates ; the lateral branch then becomes the axial one, 

 growing for some distance (an inch or so) without hydrocladia, 

 but with a long series of sarcothecse; it then in turn gives off a 

 lateral branch on the opposite side to that on which it com- 

 menced, after which it produces hydrocladia, while the new 

 lateral branch takes up the role of continuing the axial column. 

 It appears to be the rule that a branch does not produce hydro- 

 cladia till after it has given origin to the next branch, the stem 

 therefore, being made up of a succession of these sarcothecate 

 portions of the branches, does not bear hydrocladia, but there are 

 exceptions. A lateral offshoot is much slenderer at its origin 

 than the branch from which it springs, but it grows thicker up- 

 wards till at the next furcation it is as thick as its predecessor, and 

 gives origin in turn to another slender one. which recapitulates 

 the process. 



The fasciculation commences at the bifurcations, at each of 

 which originates a supplementary unjointed tube which also 

 bifurcates, sending a branch up each of the jointed tubes, and 

 thus originating the fasciculate structure. In each instance 

 where I was able to trace the first appearance of the supplement- 

 ary tubes they originated in the same manner. After a branch 

 has been pi-oduced and has grown for some distance a small 



