50 rniversity of California Puhlicatiom in Botany [Vol. 8 



oil radiatinjr. die-hotomous, gelatinous stalks; ])i-utuplast blue-green, 

 yellowish or reddish, homogeneous; gonidia numerous, arising in the 

 otherwise unaltered cells (gonidangia) through successive divisions. 



Kuetzing, Alg. Decade XVI, 1836, no. 151. 



The type of the genus Gamphosphaeria is G. aponiim Kuetzing 

 collected at Abano near Padua, in waters of 36° R. (45°C). The 

 structure of the colonies lias not been generally understood, but has 

 been clearly described and illustrated by Schmidle (1901, pp. 16-20, 

 pi. 1, figs. 1-5). We have been able to confirm the account of tliis 

 structure and the development of the colony. The structure and 

 development seem to relate this genus rather to Xenococciis and other 

 Chamaesiphonaceae than to ain- of the Chroococoaceae and the dis- 

 covery of gonidia (cf. Schmidle, loc. cit., and Zukal, 1894, p. 259, 

 pi. 19, figs. 9, 10), which we, however, have not as yet observed, gives 

 additional reason for placing it in the Chamaesiphonaceae as we have 

 done. 



There are, at present, three species referred to Gomphosphaeria, of 

 which the type, G. aponina Kuetzing, is regarded as being the most 

 common and widely distributed. 



Gomphosphaeria aponina Kuetz. 



Plate 1, figs. 2, 3 



Cells associated into microscopical blue-green colonies up to 90ix 

 diam., tegument hyaline, moderately thick, slightly lamellate, cells 

 clavate or pear-shaped to obcordate, radially arranged in the colonies, 

 10 fi long, 4-5/x diam., pedicellate with radiating, short, thick stalks, 

 dividing in two directions; gonidia numerous, globular, about 2/^ in 

 diameter, successively formed. 



Floating among other algae in a pool in a salt marsh. Whidbey 

 Island, "Washington. 



Kuetzing, Alg. Decade, XVI, 1836, no. 151, Tab. Phyc, vol. I, 

 1846-1849, p. 22, pi. 31, fig. 3 ; Setchell and Gardner, Alg. N.W. Amer., 

 1903, p. 180. 



Gomphosphaeria aponina is found in warmer and cooler fresh 

 waters as well as in brackish water of pools in salt marshes and may 

 be rather widely distributed along our coast although we are able to 

 cite definitely only one locality. The specimens agree perfectly with 

 those distributed by Kuetzing in his Decades (no. 151), as cited, and 

 also with the type material in Kuetzing 's herbarium. 



