261 



further seen from the 

 figure that the summit 

 of the plant is protru- 

 ding in the form of a py- 

 ramid and not "bisweilen 

 einer kleinen Scheitel- 

 grube eingesenkt" as 

 mentioned in ENGLER 

 und PRANTL, Naturl. 

 Pflanzenfam., I Teil, 

 Abt. 2, p. 435-6. When 

 in full growth the sum- 

 mit of the plant is quite 

 enveloped and protected 



Fig. 255. Acanthophora spicifera (Vahl) B0rgs. 



Summit of a filament showing the axillary 



branches issuing from the basal cell of the 



trichoblasts. The tissue in the middle has been 



somewhat spoilt during the preparation. 



(About 270:1). 



by trichoblasts. As the figure shows, the plant has a large apical 

 cell, somewhat longer than broad, from the base of which flat 

 segments are cut off. Each of these segments bears a trichoblast, 

 the basal cells of which are developed before the segments are 

 divided. 



A transverse section (Fig. 256) of the stem shows the central 

 cell and the five pericentral ones surrounded by a thick paren- 

 chymatic layer of cells, larger and with thin walls inside, small 

 and thickwalled at the periphery. 



Plants have been found with tetraspores, antheridia and cy- 

 stocarps. 



The tetraspores are developed in stichidial ramuli provided 

 with spines (Figs. 254, 257 C], in contrast to the spineless, ovate 

 roundish stichidia of Acanthophora Delilei Lamx., as mentioned 



and described by FALKENBERG, 1. c., 

 p. 229, tab. 22, fig. 3. But it is sel- 

 dom that I have found stichidia in 

 form like those of Acanthophora 

 Delilei, in which case there was only 

 a single bare one in the upper end 

 of the filament, the other stichidial 

 branchlets all having spines (comp. 

 fig. 257 C}. 



The stichidial branchlets of the 

 Fig. 256. Acanthophora spicifera present species are very similar to 



(V sec!!onTthI r Sur thos of Acanthophora onentalis 3. Ag. 

 (About 50:1). as figured by OKAMURA in "Icones 



