T. H. BUFFHAM ON CHANTRANSIA TRIFILA. 25 



I regard the mature plant as that condition in which mono- 

 sporangia are borne, for within very narrow limits the fertile 

 plants may be described as almost precisely alike. When in 

 this condition the plant starts with a basal cell, undivided, by 

 which it is attached to the host plant. This cell is nearly 

 spherical, oblate, about 6 /a in horizontal, and 5 /x in vertical, 

 diameter. From it arise three filaments : the right and left 

 ones slightly incurved, each consisting of three or four cells, all 

 but the apical one being about 5 or 6 /i long, and nearly as 

 thick, but the apical cell is frequently conical, 3'5 /x thick at 

 base, and prolonged into an excessively fine hair, at times as 

 long as the four-celled principal filament itself. Between the 

 lateral filaments arises vertically the third filament, of nearly 

 similar character and dimensions, so that all three filaments lie 

 in the same plane. The monosporangia are terminal on one- or 

 two-celled branches, generally on the inner side of the lateral 

 filaments. These branches are as a rule parallel with the 

 middle vertical filament. The monospore is spherical, 7-8 /a 

 diam., and is discharged from the sporangium at its apex. 

 There are rarely more than two on a plant at the same time. 

 The middle filament is seldom branched, and its branches 

 rarely fertile. I have observed no clear case of a fertile plant 

 without these three primary filaments, and I have never 

 observed more than three. The vertical height of the mature 

 plant — not including the terminal hairs— is 27-30 /x (•0011-12 

 inch). Thus it must be the smallest Floridean known, and a 

 Microscopical Club is appropriate for its first introduction. 



When the monospore is discharged its contents contract and 

 become darker, and its lower side, in contact with the host, 

 hyaline. A lateral cell buds out on one side, and grows into 

 an inclined filament of two or three cells before the correspond- 

 ing one appears to match it on the other side. These attain 

 nearly their full length before the middle one begins to appear. 

 Then a branch or two arise to bear th,e monosporangia. I am 

 not aware of any parallel case where a single basal cell gives 

 origin to three primary filaments. 



The characters of this curious little plant may be summarised 

 thus : — 



Gliantransia trifila n. sp. — Very minute, about 27-30 /w, high. 

 Basal cell single, being a modified monospore. From this arise 



