10 MELANOSPERME^. 



branches of the filament. These organs, which are supposed 

 to represent the male system, will be more fully described in 

 their proper place. Among the higher families we no longer 

 find the spores scattered over the surface, but collected into 

 proper receptacles, formed either at the tips of the branches 

 or in their axils. Each of these receptacles, in the Fucace^, 

 contains a number of hollow chambers, communicating with 

 the water by a pore. These little hollows are called concep- 

 tacles, and the spores and paranemata are attached to their 

 walls, like the male and female flowers within the hollow 

 chamber of the fig. 



The genus Lichina, consisting of two minute plants found 

 along the edge of the sea on rocky shores, was formerly as- 

 sociated with the Melanosperms, and constituted a small 

 family called Lichine^, placed immediately after the Fu- 

 CACE^. I was never well satisfied with this position, and in 

 the first edition of this work (p. 2) hinted at the near affinity 

 of these little plants with the true Lichens, among which one 

 of them had been originally placed. Recent observations 

 have detected in their receptacles the presence of asci, the 

 peculiar fructification of Lichens, and abundance oi gonidia 

 in the stems ; and M. Montague has therefore properly 

 transferred the genus to that class of vegetables. 



Omitting, then, the group Lichineae, the Melanosperms 

 may be classed under six orders, briefly distinguished as 

 follows : — 



SYNOPSIS OF THE ORDERS. 



* Frond leathery or niemhranaceous , forming a compact, cellular 



substance. 



1. FucACEiE. Spores contained in spherical cavities im- 



mersed in the frond. 



2. Sporochnace/E. Spores attached to external, jointed 



filaments, which are either free, or compacted toge- 

 ther in knob-like masses. 



3. Laminauiace^. Spores forming indefinite, cloud-like 



patches, or covering the whole surface of the frond. 



4. DiCTYOTACEyE. Spores forming definite groups {sort) 



on the surface of the frond. 



