cells from rhizoidal holdfasts, the branches about equal in diameter 

 to the main filament which more or less becomes lost in the branch- 

 ings; branches of the second and third order about equal in diameter 

 to those of the first order; all branches ending in bluntly rounded 

 apical cells; chromatophores discoid or plate-like bodies, without 

 pyrenoids; color gray or violet-green; reproduction by monospores 

 borne singly or in clusters at the ends of short branches. Sexual 

 reproduction is known for a least one species. 



Members of this genus should be compared with juvenile states 

 of Lemanea and Batrachospermum, especially if Audouinella-]ike 

 plants are collected nearby, or with adult stages of other red algae. 

 Most of the plants previously referred to species of Chantransia 

 have been assigned to Audouinella or redefined as juvenile stages of 

 Batrachospermum. 



Audouinella violacea ( Kuetz. ) Hamel 1925, p. 46 

 PI. 135, Figs. 1, 2 

 Plants forming violet-green tufts from horizontal holdfast branches; 

 filaments sparingly branched; branches scarcely tapering, varying 

 in length from one cell to as long as the main filament; cells cylin- 

 drical, with 2-3 plate-like chromatophores which are violet-green 

 in color and rather metallic in appearance; filaments 8-12/x in 

 diameter. 



Attached in flowing water. Wis. 



FAMILY BATRACHOSPERMACEAE 



In this family the thallus has a definite axis of cells which becomes 

 corticated by downward growing elements from node regions. 

 Branches are given off in more or less dense and definite whorls so 

 that a beaded effect is produced in the macroscopic appearance of 

 the thallus. Monospores are produced at the ends of branches in 

 juvenile stages, whereas carpogonia and clusters of antheridial cells 

 are borne in the adult phase only. The sex organs may be monoecious 

 or dioecious. 



BATRACHOSPERMUM Roth 1797, p. 36 

 An attached, much branched thallus consisting essentially of an 

 axial row of large cells which cut off lateral units at definite intervals, 

 thus determining node and internode regions; from these laterals 

 a longitudinal investment of cortical filaments develops which more 

 or less (depending upon the species) completely covers the axial 

 row; also from the nodal units as well as from the cortical elements 



[565] 



