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A NEW SPECIES OF CAULERPA. 



By George Murray, F. R.S.Ed. 



Among the numerous interesting seaweeds collected by Mr. 

 H. G. Flanagan, aud sent to Miss Barton, there has occurred a 

 very pretty Caulerpa of simple structure, which I find to be new. 

 I have named it with much pleasure after Miss Barton, who has 

 done so much to advance our knowledge of the seaweeds of South 

 Africa. 



Caulerpa Bartoniae, sp. n. Frondibus a surculo repente 

 glabro ramoso erectis, nudis (ramentis nullis) complanatis, ligu- 

 latis, 2-4 centim. longis, 1-lJ millim. latis, supra petiolum brevem 

 ideutidem dichotomis, interdum fastigiatis, parce constrictis, mar- 

 gine integro, apice obtuso ; rhizinis brevibus, tenerrimis. 



Hab. In rupibus submersis ad eras Africaa austr. (Kaffraria 

 Brit.). 



The species falls into the section Zosteroidea of Agardh's classifi- 

 cation of Caulerpa, and particularly near C. lif/ulata, from which it 

 differs mainly in the very frequently repeated dichotomous branching 

 of the fronds, the absence of a rugulose petiole, so characteristic of 

 C. lifiulata, and of course very greatly in stature. 



In many ways there is a resemblance to C. Frei/ciiirtii (sect. 

 Thuijoidea), but the fronds do not possess the beautiful regular 

 dentate margin of this species, nor the regular strongly-marked 

 petiole. C. Bartonut is a much smaller and slighter species 

 altogether. Zanardini (Plant, in mari rubro, &c., in Mew. dell. 

 Istituto Veneto. vii. 1857, p. 283, tab. xiv. fig. 2) has described and 

 figured a var. integeriima of C. Freijcinetii with an entire margin. 

 The figure, however, is of a much larger plant with yellow-tipped 

 fronds, and in fact very little indication that it is a Caiderpa at all. 

 Moreover, its occurrence at Suez scarcely encourages one to regard 

 this variety as identical with the well-marked species I now describe. 

 I may say that if Zanardini's plant be a Caulerpa, it is exceedingly 

 unlikely to be a variety of C. Freijcinetii, which displays with un- 

 varying constancy the same characters whether it occurs in the 



Journal of Botany. — Vol. 34. [April, 1890.] n 



