CONFERVOIDEiE. 



[ 162 1 



CONFERVOIDEiE. 



cavity of the tube, finally breaking up into 

 the component bead-like cells (sjjores), 

 which reproduce the plant. The genus 

 Lemanea deserves further investigation. 



Synopsis of the Families. 



1. Lemanee^. Frond filamentous, in- 

 articulate, cartilaginous-leathery, hollow, 

 furnished at irregular distances with whorls 

 of warts, or necklace-shaped. Fructification : 

 tufted, simple or branched, necklace-shaped 

 filaments, attached to the inner surface of 

 the tubular frond, and finally breaking up into 

 elhptical spores. Growing in fresh uater. 



2. Batrachosperme^. Plants fila- 

 mentous, articulated, invested with gelatine. 

 Frond composed of aggregated, articulate, 

 longitudinal cells, whorled at intervals with 

 short, horizontal, cylindrical, or beaded, 

 jointed ramuli. Fructification : ovate spores 

 attached to the lateral ramuli, which consist 

 of minute, radiating, dichotomous, beaded 

 filaments. Freshwater plaiits. 



3. CHiETOPHORACE^. Plants growing 

 in the sea or fresh water, coated by gelati- 

 nous substance, either filiform, or (a number 

 of filaments being collected together) formed 

 into gelatinous, branched, definitely formed 

 or shapeless fronds or masses. Filaments 

 jointed ; articulations colourless at each end, 

 coloured in the middle. Fructification : 

 zoospores produced from the cell-contents 

 of the filaments. 



4. CoNFERVACE^. Plants growing in 

 the sea or in fresh water, filamentous, jointed, 

 without evident gelatine (forming merely a 

 delicate coat around the separate filaments). 

 Filaments very variable in appearance, simple 

 or branched ; the cells constituting the arti- 

 culations of the filaments more or less filled 

 with green or very rarely brown or purple 

 granular matter, sometimes arranged in 

 peculiar patterns on the walls, and con- 

 vertible into sjjores or zoospores. Not con- 

 jugating. 



6. Zygnemace^. Freshwater filamen- 

 tous plants, without evident gelatine, com- 

 posed of series of cylindrical cells, straight 

 or curved. Cell-contents often arranged in 

 elegant patterns on the walls. Heproduction 

 resulting from conjugation, followed by the 

 development of a true spore, in some genera 

 dividing into four sporules before germina- 

 tion. Zoospores have been observed. 



6. SiPHONACE^. Plants found in the 

 sea, fresh water, or on damp ground ; of a 

 membranous or horny, hyaline substance, 

 filled with green granular matter. Fronds 



consisting of continuous tubular filaments, 

 either free or collected into spongy masses of 

 various shapes, either crustaceous, globular, 

 cylindrical or flat. Fructification.'. (1) vesicles 

 {coniocysts) external, often stalked, giving 

 birth to large spores or numbers of zoospores; 

 (2) ciliated sptores produced from the con- 

 tents of the apex of the tubes; (3) conversion 

 of the whole contents into spores or zoospores. 



7. OsciLLATORiACE^. Plants growing 

 either in the sea, in fresh w^ater, or on damp 

 ground, of a gelatinous substance and fila- 

 mentous structure. Filaments very slender, 

 tubular, continuous, filled with coloured, 

 granular, transversely striate substance ; 

 seldom branched, though often cohering to- 

 gether so as to appear branched, usually 

 massed together in broad, floating, or sessile 

 strata, of very gelatinous nature ; occasion- 

 ally erect and tufted, and still more rarely 

 collected into radiating series bound together 

 by firm gelatine, and then forming globose, 

 lobed or flat crustaceous fronds. Fructifica- 

 tion (where known to exist) : the internal 

 mass, or " contents," divided by transverse 

 septa, finally separating into roundish or 

 lenticular spores (?). 



8. NosTOCHACE^. Gelatinous plants 

 growing in fresh water or in damp situations 

 among mosses, &c.; of soft or almost leathery 

 substance, consisting of variously curled or 

 twisted necklace-shaped filaments, colourless 

 or green, composed of simple (or in some 

 stages double) rows of cells, contained in a 

 gelatinous matrix of definite form, or heaped 

 together without order in a gelatinous mass. 

 Some of the cells enlarged, and then form- 

 ing either vesicular empty cells or densely 

 filled spermatic cells. Reproduction : only 

 the breaking up of the filaments known. 

 The enlarged spermatic cells regarded as 

 sporanges. 



9. Ulvace^. Marine or freshwater Algae, 

 consisting of membranous, flat and expanded, 

 tvibular or saccate fronds composed of poly- 

 gonal cells firmly conjoined by their sides. 

 Reproduced by zoospores formed from the 

 cell-contents and breaking out from the sur- 

 face, or by motionless spores formed from 

 the whole contents of a cell. 



10. Palmellace^. Plants forming ge- 

 latinous or pulverulent cnists on damp sur- 

 faces of stone, wood, &c., or more or less 

 regvdar masses of gelatinous substance, or 

 delicate pseudo-membranous expansions or 

 fronds, of flat, globular, or tubular form, in 

 fresh water or on damp ground; composed 

 of one or many, sometimes innumerable 



