76 LAURENCIACE^. v. 



may readily be seen if a conceptacle from which the spores have been shed be care- 

 fully dissected. The placenta in such conceptacles will be found not unlike a bird- 

 cage or the open net-work of a clathroid fungus, nearly filling the cavity, and con- 

 nected with the surrounding walls by cross threads. This is precisely the structure 

 in Ch. lumhricalis, compressa and Tasmanica, as well as in Chylocladia affinis, Harv. 

 (Ner. Austr. t. 29), which therefore I now remove to Champia. Chylocladia Novce 

 Zealandice, Hook, and Harv., whose conceptacles are unknown, is probably also a 

 Champia. The genus so constituted forms a natural group, all the species having 

 a constricted frond divided into loculi by transverse septa. I differ with my friend 

 Prof J. Agardh in regard to its nearest affinities ; he referring his Champia to the 

 neighbourhood of his recently amended genus Chylocladia (founded on Chrysymenia 

 clavellosa of his former writings), whilst I am of opinion that it is much more nearly 

 connected with Lomentaria. 



1. Champia parvula, Harv.; tufts globose, dense ; frond irregularly branched, 

 ramuli scattered ; branches and ramuli constricted at intervals of once or twice their 

 diameter ; conceptacles scattered. Chylocladia parvula, Grev. Harv. Phyc. Brit. t. 

 2] 0. Lomentaria parvula, Zanard. J. Ay. Sp. Alg. 2, p. 729. Kutz. Sp. Alg. p. S64. 



Hab. On the smaller alga?, &c. between tide marks. Nantucket, Miss Mitchell. 

 Seaconnot, Newport and Narragansett Pier, Prof. Bailey and Mr. Olney. Peconic 

 Bay, Prof. Bailey and W. H. H. Hellgate, New York, Mr. Hooper and Mr. Cong- 

 don. Key West, IF. H. H, Dr. Blodgett (71) and Prof. Tuomey (38). (v. v.) 



Tufts globose, often intricate, two to four inches in diameter. Fronds as thick 

 as sparrow's quill, very irregularly branched ; the branches sometimes somewhat 

 pinnately compounded, all or most of the divisions alternate ; sometimes and more 

 frequently several times irregularly forked below, and inordinately branched above. 

 Branches and ramuli very patent, linear, ending in a blunt point. The main 

 divisions are either regularly constricted and septate throughout, at intervals of 

 once and half their diameter, or are sub- cylindrical and obsoletely constricted in the 

 lower part ; all the lesser branches and ramuli are obviously articulato-septate. 

 Conceptacles scattered over the branches, very prominent, conical or ovate, thick- 

 walled. Colour brownish red, purplish, or waxy yellow. Substance softly cartila- 

 ginous. It closely adheres to paper in drying. 



A variable plant. Most of our specimens nearly agree with common European 

 varieties. One, received from ]\Ir. Congdon, is more pinnate than the others, and ra- 

 ther more robust. Another variety found by Mr. Hooper at Gi'eenport is much more 

 slender than usual, scarcely thicker than hog's bristle, with the constrictions obsolete, 

 or not visible without close examination. I have British specimens nearly similar. 



2. Champia salicornoides ; frond cylindrical and inarticulate at the base, nodoso- 

 constricted upwards, whorled with one or more sets of short moniliform, obtuse 



