A Key to the Phaeophyceae of Puget Sound 



Walter C. Muenscher, 

 Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. 



Phaeophyceae, or brown algae, are well represented on the shores of 

 Puget Sound. In this paper is given an analytical key to the genera and 

 species found in Puget Sound, Washington, using the term "Puget Sound" 

 to include all the bodies of water inside of Cape Flattery on the west and 

 Point Roberts on the north. Short descriptions and illustrations are given 

 for each species. 



The keys and descriptions are based primarily upon such distinctions 

 as may readily be observed in the field. Where this is not possible mi- 

 croscopic characters are used for separating genera and species. It must 

 be borne in mind that the key to the genera is intended to hold only for 

 the genera as they are represented by the species of this region and may 

 not hold if the species of other waters are included. Nearly all the de- 

 terminations were made from living material. The descriptions are not 

 original but in most cases have been checked up with living specimens. 

 The illustrations are sketches from material at hand unless otherwise in- 

 dicated. 



This paper is not claimed to be complete in any sense. It includes 

 all the species of Phaeophyceae at present known to occur within the 

 region but undoubtedly many others will be found in the future. The fact 

 that there is no work in which the student of algae may find a key to or 

 descriptions of even any considerable number of the Phaeophyceae of this 

 region, is at least one justification for offering to my colleagues this very 

 incomplete work, with a hope that it will not only be of some use to them, 

 but that it may result in a more complete knowledge of the marine algae 

 of Puget Sound and vicinity. 



Most of the sketches were drawn by Miss Helen C. Oilman of the 

 University of Washington. 



(249) 



