6 University of California Publications in Botany [Vol. lo 



validity of their specific rank, or that they represent merely individuals 

 with inconstant and fluctuating characters, due to environmental 

 influences. 



Historical Review 



Kjellman (1883, p. 203) remarks as follows concerning some of the 

 numerous forms which he has described: 



I have set down here the same forms that I have before endeavored to 

 distinguish and to define. They are certainly connected by numerous inter- 

 mediate forms, but they deserve, however, to be mentioned specially, because 

 they show the limits and directions of the variations of the species and differ 

 somewhat with regard to biology and geographical distribution. 



Yendo (1907, p. 16) has assembled several forms from the Japanese 

 waters and has allied them, according to his conception, with certain 

 of Kjellman 's forms of F. evanescens, at the same time expressing his 

 disbelief in ascribing definite identities to such plants : ' ' Besides the 

 above mentioned formae others might be pointed out. It would, how- 

 ever, be unimportant to add to algological literature more formal 

 names, established on what I regard as invalid forms." 



I find it not wholly a simple matter to justify the selection of the 

 species major mentioned above as seemingly the most suitable to include 

 our flora as against certain others which might have been selected. T 

 also feel much handicapped in not having had direct contact with more 

 European material for comparison. I have been compelled to rely 

 largely upon descriptions. 



Most of the earlier collections from our coast were assigned to 

 European species. Two species, however, viz., F. furcatus Ag. (Sp. 

 Alg., 1820, p. 97) and F. evanescens Ag. {loc. cit., p. 92) have been 

 described from the waters of the North Pacific, the former is said to 

 have come from Unalaska and the latter from Kamtschatka. Agardli 

 assigned these localities on the authority of Chamisso, who travelled 

 along our coast in 1816 as far south as San Francisco. Some doubts 

 have arisen as to the localities from which he obtained the material 

 upon which Agardh based his species. 



Harvey (Bot. Beechey, 1833, p. 163, and 1841?, p. 407) was appar- 

 ently the first to accredit F. furcatus Ag. to the Pacific coast of North 

 America. He based his judgment upon material collected at San 

 Francisco, California, by Dr. Sinclair. I have not seen the specimen, 

 nor have I any further information concerning it, but it seems quite 

 probable, as may be seen later, that his determination was correct. 



