536 University of California Puhlications in Botany [Vol.8 



gametes escaping by the simultaneous dissolution of the entire cell 

 walls of the gametangia. 



Growing on rocks and on PhyUospadix in the littoral belt. Occur- 

 ring in its various forms from Unalaska, Alaska, to southern California. 



Fries, Flor. Scan., 1835, p. 321. PJiyUitis Fascia. Kuetzing, Phyc. 

 Gen., 1843, p. 142, pi. 24, III, figs. 1-6, in Linnaea, vol. 17, 1843, p. 97 ; 

 Saunders, Alg. Harriman Exp., 1901, p. 421 ; Setchell and Gardner, 

 Alg. N.W. Amer., 1903, p. 243; Farlow, Anderson and Eaton, Alg. 

 Exsicc. Amer.-Bor., no. 199. Petalonia. Fascia Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI., 

 vol. 3, 1898, p. 419 ; Howe, Mar. Alg. Peru, 1914, p. 50. Fiicus Fascia 

 Mueller, in Flor. Dan., 1778, pi. 768. 



So far as we have been able to ascertain, typical Ilea Fascia has 

 neither hairs nor paraphyses. The Pliyllitis Fascia of Okamura (1901, 

 pi. 10) shows a group of hairs among plurilocular gametangia. Later, 

 however, he distributed this plant under Endarachne Binghamiae, in 

 his Algae Japonicae Exsiccatae, no. 86, referring to his previous 

 publication (Joe. cit.) as a synonym. 



The size of the plants, as noted by different authors, is exceedingly 

 variable, as the foregoing diagnosis shows. We have included plants up 

 to 25 cm. long, and up to 12 cm. wide. The thickness varies with age 

 in the same plant, and varies in different collections of plants, 

 Mueller's Fu-cus Fascia {loc. cit.), as illustrated, is about 20 cm. long 

 and 5 mm. broad. The f. zosterifalia in size, form, and in being inter- 

 ruptedly and slightly hollow, approaches ScytosipJion Lomentaria f. 

 complanatus of medium size. 



We suggest the arrangement of the forms of the species in the 

 following key: 



1. Frond broad, stipe distinct 2 



1. Frond narrow to almost filiform, almost stipeless 3 



2. Tapering gradually at the base to a short stipe .... 3. f. caespitosa (p. 537) 



2. Tapering abruptly at the base to a short stipe 2. f. debilis (p. 537) 



3. Frond flat, solid throughout 4 



3. Frond with few small internal spaces 4. f. zosterifolia (p. 537) 



4. Frond flat, attached by a solid disk 1. f. typica (p. 537) 



4. Frond nearly fiUform, attached by rhizoids 5. f. filiformis (p. 537) 



With the exception of the last, the forms thus far described for the 

 genus, whether as species or varieties, seem to be represented in our 

 territory. 



