202 University of California Publications in Botany [Vol. 8 



Comparatively little is known as to the occurrence of Chaetomorpha 

 melaganium on the Pacific coast of North America. Ruprecht (1851, 

 p. 397) credits Conferva melagonium to Unalaska and Kadiak Island 

 in tufts over two feet long. Kjellman (1889, p. 55) credits it in typical 

 form to St. Lawrence Island and to Port Clarence. Setchell (1899, 

 p. 590) refers some fragments from the Pribilof Islands to the typical 

 form and Sounders (1901, p. 413) credits Yakutat Bay, Alaska, with 

 the f. rupincola (Aresch.) Kjellm. Kjellman unites Chaetomorpha 

 melagonium (Web. and Mohr) Kuetz. and C. Picqiiotiana Mont, under 

 Chaetomorpha melagonium f. typica. The type of C. melagonium is 

 evidently a tall, rigid, erect, and attached plant and, judging from the 

 description, so is C. Picqiiotiana. Whether or not the coarse, hori- 

 zontal, and entangled plant of New England (cf. Farlow, 1881, p, 47) 

 which has gone under the latter name is the true C. Picqiiotiana and 

 whether or not it is also a state of C. melagonium are questions which 

 we cannot decide at present; nothing like it, however, has been defi- 

 nitely recorded for our Alaskan waters. 



Collins, 1909 (p. 324) states that Chaetomorpha melagonium f. 

 typica Kjellm. is the unattached plant forming crisped and entangled 

 masses about the roots of Laminariae in the sublittoral belt. We do 

 not find that Kjellman so describes it anywhere, but he does distinctly 

 cite the reference of Weber and Mohr, who describe and figure their 

 Conferva melagonium as erect, attached, and tufted. The original 

 description of Conferva Picquotiana Mont. (1849, p. 66) says "rigida, 

 erecta" and below also "basi adnata," so that it does not seem as if 

 either Chaetomorpha melagonium or C. Picquotiana, whether the two 

 may be distinct or identical, is unattached and horizontal in character- 

 istic form. 



As to f. typica Kjellm. (1883, p. 312) and f. rupincola Aresch. 

 (Alg. Scand. Exsicc, no. 275 a) the essential differences seem to be 

 that the former has longer segments and the latter shorter segments. 

 The prostrate plant of the New England coast has longer segments 

 and, if it is to be regarded as a state of C. melaganium, ought, there- 

 fore, to be placed under f . typica. 



Under Chaetomorpha melagonium may be mentioned the Conferva 

 confervicola Ruprecht (1851, p. 397) reported as having been found 

 epiphytic on, and attached basally to, Chaetomorpha melagonium at 

 Sitka, Alaska. Harvey (1858, p. 88) states that he received a specimen 

 of this plant from Ruprecht and suggests that it may be the young and 

 attached state of Chaetomorpha tortuosa. It may possibly be the young 

 attached state of what we have called Chaetomorpha cannabina. 



