TTTE FITAfE-F, OF JAPAN. 47 



A close observation of the receptacles suggests the impropriety 

 of assigning the species to the genus Cydophyllum as has hecn 

 acknowledged. The receptacles are unquestionably axillary, how- 

 ever much the fulcrant leaves may vary in their shape. 



As may be understood from the above remarks the fulcrant 

 leaves or the **rami" may vary in shape to a considerable 

 degree. If these cylindrical " rami " have been considered as a 

 modification of the ordinary leaves of Snrgassum, we shall find 

 a remarkable relationship of this species to that genus. On the 

 other hand, if the vesiculation of the clavate "rami" has been 

 taken as an important character of the species, the plant must 

 be counted as a member of, or at least standing very close to, 

 the genus Turhinaria. The only difficulty in so disposing of it 

 is that the species hitherto placed under Turhinaria have winged 

 and trumpet-shaped "vesicles," while in our species they are 

 smooth and ovate or fusiform. The foliaceous leaves at the base 

 of the young plants of this species seem at first to justify assign- 

 ing it to Sargassum. But according to J. Aoardh,^^ Kutzixg,-^ 

 ct al, the leaves at the basal portions of the Turhinaria species 

 are also often filiform or dichotomously divided. Most species of 

 Sargassum have disc-shaped roots, and all of Turhinaria, like 

 the plant under consideration have ramose holdfiists. The two 

 genera, Sargassum and Turhinaria, stand very close to each other 

 in regard to the relative positions of the vegetative and repro- 

 ductive orsfans. The onlv radical distinction between them is 

 that the latter genus has nearly all the " rami " transformed 

 into vesicles, characteristic of the genus; while in the former 

 the differentiation of the "rami" into leaves and vesicles is 



1) Species I. p. 2GÔ. 



2) Tab. Pl.yc. X. Taf. G7-G8. 



