38 RHODOMELACE^. v. 



8. PoLYSipnoNiA/raf!!a ; filaments irregularly tufted or bundled together, capil- 

 lary, ratlier rigid, divaricately much branched, subdichotomous ; branches distant, 

 spreading at wide angles, beset with scattered, spinelike, horizontal short ramuli ; 

 internodes four-tubed, about equal in length and breadth in all parts of the frond. 



Hab. Key West, W. H. H. (18), Dr. Blodgett (42). (v. v.) 



This fi^rms loose, squarrose tufts or bundles. The filaments are rather coarser 

 than human hair, gradually but not greatly attenuated upwards, and irregularly 

 much branched, the main stems dividing subdichotomously. The forkings are dis- 

 tant and spreading, irregularly subdivided. All the branches issue at wide angles, 

 and the larger ones are furnished with numerous, scattered, horizontally patent, 

 thornlike ramuli, about a line in length. The substance is rather rigid. Colour a 

 reddish brown. Stem square, four-tubed, and dissepiments pellucid in all parts of 

 the frond. It imperfectly adheres to paper in drying. 



This has the aspect of P. subuUfera, but a very different structure. In the cha- 

 racters of the internodes it agrees with P. breviarticu/ata, but differs in the more 

 slender frond and the disposition of the branches and ramuli. Dr. Blodgett's spe- 

 cimen is more flaccid than those I collected in February, more densely branched, 

 with the apices fibrilliferous, characters probably dependant on the state of 

 development. 



9. PoLYSiPHONiA eclunata ; frond setaceous, rigid, dichotomous ; branches distant, 

 widely spreading, or divaricate, not much attenuated, articulate, four-tubed, beset 

 on all sides with minute, spinelike, horizontal, subulate, simple or bifid ranmli, 

 internodes shorter than their breadth. 



Hab. Key West, W. H. H. (22). (v. v.) 



Fronds three or four inches long or more, as thick as hog's bristle or somewhat 

 thicker, subdichotomously divided ; all the divisions spreading at very wide angles. 

 The forkings are from half an inch to an inch apart, the terminal branchlets gene- 

 rally an inch in length. All the younger parts, at least, are beset at intervals of 

 half a line with minute spinelike ramuli, half a line in length, directed toward all 

 sides, and issuing nearly at right angles with the branch. The articulations are 

 visible in all parts of the stem and branches, uniformly shorter than their breadth, 

 with very wide tubes and swollen dissepiments. The substance is tough and rigid, 

 the membrane of the walls thick, and not readily recovering shape after having 

 been dried. Colour a dark brown. It imperfectly adheres to paper. 



This resembles P. fracta in its ramification, but is much more robust, and the 

 ramuli are more copious, shorter, more compound, and more equally inserted on all 

 sides of the branches. 



