NO. 1 TAYLOR: PACIFIC MARINE ALGAE 293 



axes chiefly arising near the base, where they may reach 2 mm diam., but 

 above little over 1 mm, the lesser branches irregularly disposed ; determi- 

 nate branches chiefly nearly opposite at intervals of 3-5 cm, occasionally 

 3-4 at one level, somewhat paniculate near the stem tips, not consistently 

 complanate, 0.5-1.2 mm diam., 3-15 mm long, the branchlets alternate 

 or opposite, turbinate to club shaped or subcylindrical, with the base con- 

 tracted and the apex obtuse to truncate. 



These plants are very different in appearance from L. subopposita (J. 

 Agardh) Setchell (1914a, p. 9) as figured by Yamada (1931, p. 221, pi. 

 15, fig. b), and even more from Kylin's figure (1941, p. 42, pi. 13, fig. 

 37). There are no hooked branches and the habit is erect, with clear 

 dominant chief axes; the plants are relatively slender throughout. Surface 

 cells of the branchlets are about as deep as they are wide in section. It 

 may, however, be most closely related to L. subopposita. 



Ecuador: Archipielago de Colon, on shore rocks in the surf, Pt. 

 Christopher, I. Isabela, no. 34-203, 16 Jan. 1934. Ibid., infrequent on 

 littoral rocks near Black Beach Anchorage, I. Santa Maria, no. 34-217 A 

 TTYP^;, 17 Jan. 1934. 



Laurencia obtusa (Hudson) Lamouroux, v. gracilis Harvey 



Piccone 1886, p. 80; Farlow 1902, p. 98. 



Reported from I. San Cristobal, Archipielago de Colon. 



CHONDRIA C. Agardh, 1817 



Plants bushy, freely alternately branched, the branches generally 

 terete and the branchlets constricted sharply at the base ; growth from an 

 apical cell, the tip surrounded by trichoblasts, sometimes tapering, some- 

 times retracted into an apical pit; axis with five pericentral cells and 

 developing an ample pseudoparenchymatous cortex outside these; tetra- 

 sporangia near the surface of little-modified ultimate branchlets ; sperma- 

 tangial clusters of various shapes, generally forming colorless plates ; cys- 

 tocarps at the bases of modified trichoblast rudiments, enclosed by promi- 

 nent ostiolate pericarps. 



KEY TO SPECIES 



1. Branches cylindrical 2 



1. Branches flattened C. platyclada 



2. Very small, about 2-4 cm tall, bushy C. californica 



2. Much larger, to 20 cm tall, the chief branches long extended, 



the outer portion naked C. flexicaulis 



