297 



2. Lophosiphonia cristata Falkenb. 



FALKENBERG, P., Die Rhodomelaceen, p. 499. 



The West Indian plant (Fig. 295) seems to agree very well 

 with the plant from Naples, to judge by the description and 

 figures of FALKENBERG. However, regarding the number of the 

 pericentral cells a difference is noticeable, as FALKENBERG has 

 found 6 8 pericentral cells in his plant, while mine has 9 10, 

 now and then in the erect branchlets even more (Fig. 296). 



Fig.-295- Lophosiphonia cristata Falkenb. Part of a plant. 



(About 20:1). 



In accordance with the description of FALKENBERG our plant 

 has a creeping rhizome-like stem with indefinite growth, from 

 the dorsal side of which issue endogenous erect branchlets. The 

 distance between these branchlets varies somewhat in the different 

 specimens, but each specimen has generally about the same number 

 of segments between the branchlets ; for instance one specimen had 

 only about 4 5 naked segments between those bearing branchlets, 

 another specimen had 10 12 segments. Trichoblasts are entirely 

 absent upon the creeping stem. This grows by means of a large 

 apical cell (Fig. 297) from which thin segments are cut off. The peri- 



