188 T. H. BUFFHAM ON SOME FLORIDEM. 



by the waves. This circumstance may have led to some 

 uncertainty as to the base of the plant. Harvey says : "Root a 

 small disc, often throwing out creeping fibres." In the speci- 

 mens just named several of them were unmistakably N. reptans 

 below, and N. laceratum above. No one but Crouan seems to 

 have observed reproductive organs on N. reptans, but his figures 

 appear to enormously exaggerate the size of a cystocarp, and 

 only one is shown on each specimen. In some cases, unless a 

 previous acquaintance with the parasite has been made, Goni- 

 mophyllum Buffhami might be taken as a proper product of the 

 Nitophyllum. Mdlle. N. Karsakoff has kindly sent me speci- 

 mens of G. Buffhami collected at Roscoff, Finistere, and 

 possibly the cystocarp drawn by Crouan was that of the parasite, 

 but that would not explain the unprecedented size given in the 

 figures. It might, however, account for the isolated body. Be 

 that as it may, I am led to the conclusion that N. reptans is not 

 of specific value, and further that it is not even a variety, but 

 only the early stage of N. laceratum. Probably the reptans 

 portion is less developed on a narrow substratum where it can 

 more readily become free of contact. Reinsch founded a new 

 genus — Rhizophyllum — on what appear to be only very young 

 specimens of this early stage of N. laceratum (Gontributiones ad 

 Algologiam etc., p. 53). I have compared the dimensions he 

 gives of the cells of his two species — Rh. enervium and Rh. 

 nervosum {Op. cit., pp. 53, 54, Rhodophycea?, Tab. 38 and 39), 

 and find both agree sufficiently with those of the so-called N. 

 reptans. The absence or presence of "nerves" is not constant 

 in all the lobes, and Rh. enervium is almost certainly "N 

 reptans" and if Rh. nervosum be not also the same it is, in my 

 opinion, only a similar stage of some other species of Nitophyllum. 



Spermothamnion hermaphroditum Nag. was referred to (p. 

 298) in the paper mentioned at the commencement of these 

 Notes. I may add here another association of organs, namely, 

 that of antheridia with tetraspores. The male organs are, like 

 the usual specimens, terminal on a unicellular pedicel, and 

 placed near tetraspores. (Swanage, June, 1892). 



In Compsothamnion gracillimum Schmitz (Callithamnion gracil- 

 limum Ag.) Harvey shows the tetraspores of the usual tripar- 

 tite character. In a recent gathering comprising a number of 

 specimens I observed in all those that would be called tetra- 



