Ser. GONGYLOSrERME/E. ( 19 ) Fam. RIIODYMENIACE.E. 



CORDYLECLADIA ERECTA.— J^. G. Acj. 



Gen. Char. — Frond filiform, cartilaginous, of two distinct layers of cells : central large, 

 roundish, smaller towards the surface ; outer minute, arranged in the form of 

 vertical filaments. Fructification of two kinds, on distinct plants : 1. Tubercles 

 (coccidia), containing a mass of minute spores attached to a central placenta ; 

 2. Tetraspores, quadrizonate, formed from the filaments of the periphery of pod- 

 like receptacles. 



CoRDYLECLADiA crecta. — Fronds much tufted, filiform, erect, sparingly 

 dichotomous ; tubercles spherical, clustered on the branches ; tetraspores 

 on terminal, pod-like receptacles. 



CoRDTLECLADiA erecta. — /. G. Arjardh, Sp. Gen. Alg. vol. ii. p. 704. 



Gracilaria erecta. — Grev. Alg. Brit. p. 124, t. 14 ; Ilarv. P. B. plate 177 ; 

 Earv. Man. p. 130; Harv. Syn. p. 110 ; Atlas, plate 36, fig. 168. 



Plocaria erecta. — Endl. 3rd Suppl. p. 51. 



Giqartina erecta. — Hooh. Br. Fl. vol. ii. p. 300 ; Wyatt, Alg. Damn. No. 115 ; 

 Harv. in Maclc. Fl. Hih. part 3, p. 200. 



Sph^rococcus erectus. — Grev. Crypt, t. 357. 



Hab. — On sand-covered rocks in the sea. Perennial. Fruiting in winter. Very 

 rare. Sidmouth ; Torquay {Mrs. Griffiths) ; Belfast Bay {Mr. W. Thompson) ; Port 

 Balautrae {Mr. D. Mooi-e) ; Roundstone {M Valla) ; Orkney {Rev. H. Pollexfen, Dr. 

 M'Bain). 



Gkogr. Dist. — Coast of France ? 



Description. — Root, a broad flattened disc. Fronds numerous, 

 clustered, slender, filiform, erect, one to three inches high, one-fourth to 

 one-half a line in diameter, very sparingly branched ; branches erect, 

 in-egularly dichotomous ; axils acute, the apices gradually tapering to 

 a point. Structure cellular, central cells large, smaller outwards, outer 

 coating distinct, arranged in the form of vertical closely-packed filaments, 

 composed of minute coloured cells. Substance cartilaginous, very rigid, 

 not adliering to paper in drying. Colour, a dark brownish red, dark 

 brownish black when diy. Tubercles clustered rotmd the U2:)per branches, 

 spherical, sessile, containing, within a thick pericarp formed of the 

 surface of the frond, a dense mass of obconical spores. Tetraspores 

 imbedded among the surface-cells of pod-like, lanceolate, terminal, binate 

 receptacles, zonately divided into four sporules. 



This interesting little plant is perhaps less sparingly distributed than 



