Maskell. — On New Zealand DesmidiesD. 9 



Additions to Catalogue of New Zealand Desmidie^. 



[Note. — Plants marked with an asterisk (*) have been reported by 

 Professor 0. Nordstedt, in liis account of fresh-water Algce collected in 

 New Zealand by Dr. S. Berggren.] 



Genus Sphaerozosma, Corda. 

 Splicerozosma compressum, sp. nov. Plate I., fig. 1. 



Plant filamentous ; joints very minute, elongated, the ends 

 orbicular, the middle cylindrical and compressed, each joint 

 having the appearance of a dumb-bell. Filament twisted, the 

 joints in side-view less compressed in the middle. Section 

 elliptical. Endochrome chiefly visible in the cylindrical por- 

 tion of each joint. Zygospore smooth, orbicular, a good deal 

 wider than the joints. There are no processes between the 

 joints, of which there are sometimes at least thirty in a fila- 

 ment. 



Long, cell., 10-7 fx; lat. term., 5-8 /x; lat. med., 3-5 fj.; 

 diain. zyg., 8-8 jx. 



Eutherford's Swamp, Otaki. 



This plant is allied to S. excavation, Ealfs, but differs in 

 the cylindrical middle, orbicular ends, generally longer and 

 rounder joints, and absence of connecting processes. It seems 

 to be rare. 



'■' Sphczrozosyna jndchelluvi, Archer. Plate I., fig. 2. 



Approximating to S. hamhusinoide, Wittrock, which Wolle 

 considers as a variety of S. ijulchcllmn. 



Splicerozosma formosum, sp. nov. Plate I., fig. 3. 



Cells almost twice as long as broad ; filament not twisted ; 

 constriction rather deep, linear within and wide at the mouth ; 

 semi-cells roundly inflated at the base, thence sub-cylindrical 

 to the rounded angles of the ends, which are not at all dilated ; 

 ends straight or slightly convex ; cells joined to each other 

 without any glands or processes. Cytioderm smooth. End- 

 view elliptical or sub-circular. 



Long, cell., :^2-5 /x, ; lat., 13-i /x ; crass., lO-o-12/x. 



Hawke's Bay. 



Like most species of this genus the filaments are very 

 fragile. I have seen a few with as many as twenty or more 

 joints ; but it is rare to find more than three or four cells 

 together, and in most cases the joints are single. When 

 single these cells may easily be taken for Euastnim auhlohatum, 

 which is nearly of the same size ; but in that plant the 

 terminal angles are slightly dilated, the ends are concave, and 

 the end-view is different. Sphcsrozosma formosum is so much 

 larger than S. pulchcllum, and its cells are so much less 

 inflated (proportionately), that it must for the present be con- 



