Laing. — On Neiv Zealand Species of Ceramiaceae. 397 



2, Spongoclonium brachygonum, R. M. L. (? = Callithamnion 

 brachygonum, Harv., Fl. N.Z., ii., 259). Plate XXIX., fig. 1. 



Thallus 6-8 cm. high, dull-red, densely tufted, without ap- 

 parent main stem or branches, irregularly alternately pinnately 

 decompound. The pinnules are long interlacing filaments which 

 cover the whole plant with a somewhat open network, but 

 become shorter near the apex in acropetal succession. The 

 terminal pinnules are more or less distichous, but occasionally 

 secund. The plant bears some external resemblance to Pleono- 

 sporium brounianum and P. hirtuni, but it is much more slender 

 and delicate than either, and the network of pinnules, though 

 more open than in either of the other two, covers it more com- 

 pletely. The pinnules at the apices are much more open and 

 loose than in P. hirtum, and much longer and not flabellately 

 expanded as those in P. brounianum. Tetraspores solitary, 

 lateral, rather sparse, divided into tetrads. (For cystocarps see 

 below.) 



Distribution. — Purau (Lyttelton). Wellington (R. M. L.) ; 

 Warrington (Berggren). 



I have seen a distinct variety or possibly a new species col- 

 lected by Mr. Cresly Smith at St. Clair, but in the absence of more 

 material I hesitate to describe it. It may possibly be the true 

 S. brachygonum, for it possesses the rod-like branchlets referred 

 to by Harvey, which this plant does not. However, my plant 

 was originally determined by Agardh, and I translate his re- 

 marks on the species in reference to some specimens obtained 

 by Berggren at Warrington* : " I have seen no plant of Harvey's. 

 With great hesitation I refer to this species a little plant about 

 an inch in length gathered at Warrington by Berggren. It is 

 certainly a Dasythatnnion with the stem clad with decurrent 

 filaments. Harvey has not a word about this character. The 

 branches are pinnately elongated, subcorymbose at the apex, 

 with rather dense incurved ramuli. The pinnae are decussate 

 below, with the pinnules lateral or extrorse, all patent or some- 

 what erect, and rather obtuse curved over the apex. Cells of 

 the pinna? twice as long as broad, of the pinnules half as long 

 again or equal. Twin cystocarps of the usual rounded form be- 

 low the apex of a pinna." 



It will be seen that Agardh's description differs in various 

 points from mine, but in his determination of my specimens he 

 seems to me to have confused under the title C. brachygonum, 

 plants of P. hirtum and C. brachygonum. Hence I scarcely feel 

 justified in relying upon his identification of S. brachygonum 

 with Harvey's C. brachygonum. I therefore transcribe from the 



* De. Alg., N.Z.. Mar., p. 13. 



