﻿74 Allen: Contributions to Japanese Characeae 



ered by papillae, not pointed, about I [x long and about three in 5 

 fi\ the antheridia are about 160 in diam., varying with age. 



Collected in Shakuhachi pond, Kyoto, Japan. 



Nitella Tanakiana sp. nov. 



Plant 20-25 cm. long, rather simple, sparingly branched ; ver- 

 ticils of two sorts quite distinct, lower sterile remote, consisting of 

 six leaves divided near the end into 2 or 4 shorter terminals, 6 or 7 

 mm. long, which are often again subdivided ; the terminals are, as 

 a rule, ^-celled, the ultimate cell a mucro ; the upper fertile leaves 

 are very short, and at the upper part of the stem the verticils be- 

 come gradually smaller and closer or elongated shoots arise from 

 the lower sterile verticils and bear only close whorls of fertile 

 leaves (having the appearance of spikes) ; the fertile leaves are 

 2-divided (very rarely, a third division has been seen) ; the first 

 node consists of 3 or 4 divisions, the second of 2 or 3 (rarely 4) 

 unequal terminals; the terminals are 3-celled (with only an occa- 

 sional exception) the first cell two -thirds the length of the entire ter- 

 minal, the second cell tapering somewhat to the third which is a 

 mucro; the stem is about 333 /^ in diam. ; the first segment of a 

 leaf 130, the second 116 to 58, the third 75 tapering to 50, the 

 mucro, almost triangular, 30 to 45 at base and 80 to 116 long; 

 the mucro drops easily and early ; mature leaves are rarely found 

 with mucro nes. 



The species is monoecious ; oogonia occur on both nodes of the 

 leaf .often aggregated. The oospore is 306 long by 272 broad, 

 with 6 (or 7) sharp and prominent ridges. The membrane is 

 characterized by granulo-reticulate markings, small pointed gran- 

 ules are arranged in reticulated series with a faint connecting line, 

 and with larger granules at the junction of the irregularly hexago- 

 nal reticula. 



The relationship of this interesting species seems clearly to be in 

 the group with N. rigida Allen, from which it differs by its more 

 flexible habit, the character of the terminals and of the oospores 



This plant was collected in Hirosawa pond, Kyoto, Japan. 



Nitella Saitoiana sp. nov. 



Plants 15-20 cm. long, somewhat branched, with numerous 

 whorls of long leaves which become crowded and abbreviated 

 above. In the lower part of the stem the verticils are 3^4 cm. 

 distant, the leaves about 3 cm. long, equaling the length 

 of the internode. The lower leaves are sterile and divided 

 above the middle into 3 or 4 segments, which area gain divided 

 (usually) into 2 or 3 very short mucronate terminals. The leaves 



