21 



men from North Carolina is labelled by A. Br. " N. miicronata-tenuior 

 (N. flabellata Kg., same as Ch. Nidifica Schw." 



Var. leiopyrena (striae on the nucleus not prominent), reported 

 from Virginia and from Mexico. 



Migula, having studied the variations of this species, both wild and 

 in cultivation, in Europe, concludes that they cannot be maintained as 

 permanent sub-species. 



The species seems to be hardy and to produce fruit early and freely. 

 It is reported from scattering stations from Cambridge, Mass., to 

 Oregon, and south to New Mexico. 



Description of the Plate. The drawings were made from a specimen (var. 

 temtior') gathered in Cambridge, Mass., and show rather long terminals. All the 

 antheridia had fallen ; the figures speak for themselves ; Fig. 4 shows the reticula- 

 tion of the surface of the spore- membrane. The mucro is larger than usual in this 

 species ; usually it is very slender. 



NITELLA CAPETELLATA. A. Br. in Sill. Jourji., 1844, p. 92, name 

 ("sub-species, N. Gracilis vel potius mucronatael"'}, Ch. tenella A. Br. 

 olim (1836?) Ch. Ellioti A. Br. olim (1846), Ch. capitdlata "Ell." in 

 Herb. Martii (with no locality) ? Ch. capitata Elliot, " Sketch of the 

 Botany of South Carolina and Georgia," Vol. II. (1824), p. 516. As a 

 matter of courtesy, by Schweinitz, this species was called Ch. capitellata 

 Elliot, by which name it is recorded in my notice of the North American 

 Characeae in Sillimari! s Journal. It transpires, however, that in Elliot's 

 " Flora " there is no capitellata, but a Ch. capitata Elliot, a name which 

 must be changed on account of the Ch. capitata of Nees, Meyen and 

 others. Elliot describes it, on p. 516, as follows: 



" Ch.? caule ramulisque teretibus, glabris, articulis foliosis, fructibus capitatis, 

 bracteis bacca paulo longioribus. Stem submersed, floating, terete, glabrous, some- 

 what diaphanous ; leaves in whorls, generally six, terete, very acute. Flowers (?) very 

 numerous, collected in axillary heads, at first sessile, afterwards pedunculate. Brae- 

 teal leaves 4 (?), transparent, acute, a little longer than the fruit. Berry smooth, yel- 

 low. In this plant I have not been able to distinguish the anther nor any spiral striae 

 around the fruit. 



" Dr. Schweinitz sends me from Salem, N. C., under the name of Ch. nidifica, a 

 plant closely allied to this. It appears to be more lucid and to bear leaves more 

 numerous and more slender. 



" Grows in ditches. Common in the rice fields on the Ogeechee river, Georgia 

 (collected by Le Conte, Herb. Richard, labelled Ch. nidifica, and herb. Zeyher, 

 without locality. 



" This plant is intermediate between N. gracilis and syncarpa. The branching 

 is similar to syncarpa ; it even forms " nests," but is much thinner and more deli- 

 cate; even the main stem is very fine. The verticils consist of six long leaves, di- 

 vided into 4-5 long terminals, each of which is divided above its middle. The leaves 



