A Monograi>h of the Genus Alalia. 99 



upper half bearing the sporophylls, especially ia the region near 

 the base of the blade. Midrib smooth, complanated, 4-6 mm.* 

 broad, often as broad as 10 mm.,* elevated above the blade on 

 both Surfaces with roundish edges. Sporophylls, metasoric, 20-30 

 or often more in number, pinnately arranged on both sides of the 

 stipe, the lower ones much separated, gradually more approximate 

 in the upper, adding new ones successively above, oblong- obovate, 

 or elongate- elliptical, 8-15 cm.=-= in length, 2.5-4.0 cm.* in breadth, 

 membranaceous, with well-defined, cyhndrical petioles ; base of 

 sporophyll obtuse or round, sometimes asymmetrical ; tip obtuse or 

 round. Sorus on both surfaces of each sporophyll in a continuous 

 patch, generally occupying the lower half of the whole area, and 

 leaving a narrow border along tlie margin sterile. 



RemarJiS on the species. The earliest appearance of the specific 

 name Alaria Pylail is in Greville's Algae Britanicae Syn. p. 

 XXXIX (1830). The name is formed by transferring Agarum 

 Pijlaii BoRY (1826?) to the genus Alaria which he had then newly 

 established. The specific limitation held by Boey or Greyille 

 was naturally quite ambiguous, as the specimens from which the 

 species has been described were very likely incomplete and sterile. 

 The name practically covered all the forms of Alaria from the 

 west side of the North Atlantic. In 1840, Postels and Ruprecht 

 reported three species of Alaria from the North Pacific, namely 

 A. esculenta, A. fistulosa and A. marglnata. J. AgxVRDH could not 

 but acknowledge the marvelous plant A. fistulosa in his Spec. Alg., 

 I, but doubtingly mentioned A. marglnata under A. escidenta. At 

 this time, the Atlantic forms of Alaria belonged either to A. esjii- 

 lenta or to A. Pylali in the opinion of the European algologists. 

 In the collection from Greenland, J. Agardh first came in contact 



* The measurements with asterisks are from dried specimens. 



