a single saccate cell, and filled with bright-green granular endochrome. At 

 first the contents of the ramulus is homogeneous ; but at maturity the whole 

 matter contained in the membranous envelope is converted into a multitude 

 of spherical spores, each furnished with a very firmly membranous, almost 

 horny perispore : the matter contained is granular, and may possibly be 

 afterwards changed into zoospores ? Colour of the ramuli a bright yellowish 

 or grass green. Substance horny-membranous, somewhat rigid. When 

 drying the plant scarcely adheres to paper. 



The genus Polyphym is evidently closely related to Acetabu- 

 laria, and, like the latter, was once referred to the Animal King- 

 dom ; the supposed animality being suggested by the somewhat 

 horny substance of the membrane, and the coating of carbonate 

 of lime which generally clothes the stem. Now that the limits 

 between the Algse and flexible Zoophytes are better understood, 

 the truly vegetable nature of our plant is established. 



At Princess Royal Harbour this plant is very common oppo- 

 site the town and for a mile or two higher up the harbour. It 

 invariably (as far as I have seen) grows upon old shells, from 

 which it perhaps derives the lime-coating of its stipes. The 

 fronds, though often crowded, are not properly tufted, but each 

 stands more or less apart. It is in perfection in January and 

 February, and is apparently an annual. Its development has 

 not yet been watched ; and it would be desirable to know 

 whether, at an early age, before the development of the saccate 

 ramuli, its stipes may not be clothed with byssoid ramelli, as in 

 Acetabularia. 



I possess a second species, sent by Mr. Clifton from Swan 



River, and which may be thus briefly characterized : — 



P. Cliftoni ; stipite membranaceo Jxliformi, nodis imperf oralis ; ramulis 

 anguste clav'tformibus. 



Pig. 1. Polyphysa Peniculus, growing on a fragment of Venus aurea, — the 

 natural size. 2. A pair of fronds, — magnified. 3. Portion of a stipes. 

 4. A node and annulus from the same. 5. A ramulus (or sporangium) 

 containing spores. 6. The same, torn open, and some spores coming out. 

 7. Spores. 8. A spore, with its nucleus withered :— the latter figures more 

 or less highly magnified. 



