52 AKT. '12. — K. YENDO. 



as separate species for nearly a half century. Okamura is the 

 only one, as fiir as my references extend, who has touched on 

 this problem. He^^ noted that Coccojyhora j^hyllamj^kora might 

 possibly be a special modification of its fellow species. But 

 ceased to pursue the subject further. 



As Langsdoef's form was taken as the complete or nearly 

 complete frond, the hollow receptacles were thought to serve 

 at the same time as vesicles. This consideration resulted in an 

 awkward misrepresentation in the systematic disposition. 



The fact that the lateral branches are axillary, and that 

 the vesicles and receptacles are developed into S2)ecial organs 

 places the present ])lant near Sargassum; but both in general 

 appearance and in minute points, there is hardly any corres- 

 pondence with any species of Sargassum. The decaying away 

 of the vegetative portions, which bear the vesicles, and the 

 succeeding growth of the reproductive Ijranches are especially 

 characteristic. We find some species of Sargassum whose vege- 

 tative branches in greater part disappear before the maturity of 

 the receptacles. As regards the lateral branch, arising from an 

 axil of a leaf, with receptacles at the apical portions, and some 

 with vegetative leaves on the lower portions, we can find some 

 similarity in Sargassum only. 



The essential morphological difference between Sargassum 

 and Coccophora lies in the fact that the vesicles and the recejit- 

 acles may occur in the same definite branch in the former, while 

 they are in separate ones in the latter. 



The ampulation of the recej)tacles seem to be the result of 

 physiological necessity, for the vesicles are already absent when 

 the reproductive organs have reached mi\turity. In this respect 



1) Okamuka: Eiuiiuer. uf Alg. Jap. p. lo8. 



