CHARACE.i% 243 



deed has favoured me with specimens in proof of the correctness 

 of his observations,) that, in germination, these nucules give birth 

 only to one plant. 



The Genus Chara, of which alone this Natural Order consists, 

 has been an object of peculiar attention with many botanists, 

 and I regret that the limits of these pages will not allow of their 

 investigations being here detailed. One of its most remarkable 

 characteristics resides in the peculiar nature of its organs of 

 fructification or reproduction. These being constantly of 2 kinds, 

 sometimes standing near, at other times apart from each other, 

 the greater number of Botanists of the Linnaean school have 

 looked upon them, the one as the stamen, and the other as the 

 pistil, and hence have placed the Genus either in Moxandria 

 Monogynia, or in Monoscia Monandkia. But the whole habit 

 of the plant is so totally at variance with any of the phamogamic 

 tribe, that eveji Linnaeus himself, at first, placed it in Cryp- 

 togamia. And such seems to be the prevalent opinion with 

 the followers of the natural method ; although we have the high 

 authority of Mr. Brown for arranging Chara among the HydroeJta- 

 rideaz in the Monocotyledones, and that of Leman with the Elodete 

 (near Onagrarice) in the Dicotyledones. Richard first proposed 

 that it should constitute a separate order ; widely removed as it 

 is from every other : so much so, that it would be difficult to 

 say to which it is most allied. Dubis and De Candolle have 

 placed it next to the Equisetaceaz, but with a note of doubt as 

 to the propriety of so doing. Mr. Lindlcy ranges it -with his 

 Muscoideaz, but I think unnaturally. Agardh has made of 

 it a subdivision of Confervoidece among his Algcc, and there (or 

 still better perhaps near his Genoa VaJonia in Ulvac&z, if the 

 nature of its fronds or stems and branches were alone consi- 

 dered,) it would perhaps most conveniently rank; but the fructifi- 

 cation if widely different, and equally remote from every other 

 order. It is, then, for the sake of its affinity with BOme of the 

 Al<ja> that I have placed it next to that family, and because it i- 

 an aquatic i have inserted it before, rather than after them, 

 on account of the more complicated nature of its organ- 



of reproduction. 



The calcareous matter, with which several Chara arc invested, 

 is considered by many to arise from thai substance being held in 



solution by the water in which they grow. This idea i- contro- 

 verted by Dr. Brewster, who found " while examining the distri- 

 bution of tin- aggregated groupes of the carbonate of lime which 

 'forma a great portion of then plants, ami which is an essential 



and integral part of their constitution, that the plant- were 

 phosphorescent when laid upon heated iron. BO a- to display their 

 entire outlines in the dark: — aUo that each -roup' or matt ot 



the calcareous matter < which i> held to the -tent of the plant b\ 

 ry fine transparent membrane,) I of minute ag 



