1925] Setchell-Gardner: Melanophyceae 705 



69. Blossevillea Dec 'ne (orthog. mut.) 



Erect fronds either arising directly from a mass of branched 

 hapteres or from other prostrate "runners" attached by branched 

 hapteres, usually divided into several main portions which are terete 

 or slightly flattened and two-edged; these main divisions usually 

 developing numerous side branches, either on all sides or pinnate 

 along the two edges of flattened forms, in such species the frond 

 bending at each node, giving the whole frond a marked geniculate 

 appearance; the terminal ramuli give rise to the receptacles; air 

 vesicles may or may not be present, when present non-septate. 



Decaisne, Sur Thalass., 1840, p. 409 ; Gardner, New Fucaceae, 1913, 



p. 325, et seq. 



In the last mentioned publication, a discussion is given as to the 

 reasons for the use of the term, Blossevillea of Decaisne, instead of 

 Cystophora of J. G. Agardh, for the plant we are here including in 

 our account. 



Blossevillea Brandegeei S. and G. 



Erect fronds developing from short, irregularly branched, pros- 

 trate filaments attached to rocks by small, disk-shaped holdfasts; 

 fronds cylindrical or subcylindrical at the base, gradually becoming 

 flattened, with a midrib, occasionally forked, 23-35 cm. high, 4-6 mm. 

 wide, alternately pinnatifid, producing a geniculate appearance 

 throughout the whole plant; pinnae arising from the margins only, 

 slightly midribbed, twice or thrice pinnatifid, 5-8 cm. long; vesicles 

 absent ; dried plants black and very brittle ; receptacles terminating 

 the ultimate ramuli, 10-15 mm. long; conceptacles mammiform, 

 usually in two fairly well defined rows on each side of the slightly 

 flattened receptacles ; one oosphere in each oogonium ; monoecious. 



Known only from Guadalupe Island, off the coast of Lower 

 California. 



Setchell and Gardner, in Gardner, New Fucaceae, 1913, p. 325, 



pi. 46. 



We have no data as to the abundance of this species, nor as to its 

 habitat. It has not been reported since its discovery by Dr. Edward 

 Palmer in 1897, on the above mentioned island. 



