﻿Allen : Contributions to Japanese Characeae 75 



of the upper verticils are shorter but still diffusely spreading and 

 not condensed into a congested mass; they are 2-, rarely 3- 

 divided; the first node bears 3-5 divisions and is at times fertile, 

 the second 2 or 3, and the third, when present 2 (rarely 3 termi- 

 nals). The stem is 400 in diameter, the verticil consists of 7 or 

 8 leaves; the first segment of the leaf is 286 in diameter, the sec- 

 ond 200, the third 143 and the terminal 143. The terminal is 

 frequently 3-celled, the division being ^ near the upper extrem- 

 ity ; it does not taper markedly to the mucro. The mucro is 

 about 25-35 m diameter to 70-80 long, not very evanescent. 

 The antheridia are about 225 in diameter. The oogonia are iso- 

 lated usually, but often aggregated at both nodes, more often on 

 the second node. The oospores are 275 long by 240 broad, with 

 five or six ridges ; the membrane is marked by long and short 

 granules irregularly arranged. 



This species seems to belong in a group with Nitella rigida and 

 N. Tanakiana, and to be slightly related to N. gracilis ; from the 

 former species it is distinguished by its more diffuse habit, the 

 fertile verticils not on spike-like shoots, from N. gracilis by numer- 

 ous characters, though the tendency to the three-celled terminal is 



seen in all these species. 



Collected in Sweibachi-ike pond, province Kyoto, Japan. 

 Named for a faithful and industrious collector, Kenzo Saito. 



B.— NOTE CONCERNING NITELLA ORIENTALS ALLEN, WITH DESCRIPTION OF A NEW 



ALLIED SPECIES. 



524. 1893. 



This plant varies greatly from different localities, not only in 

 size, but in the divisions of the leaves. The leaves are often only 

 3 times divided, often 5 times; the terminals, often very short 

 (brachydactylae) are again quite long (macrodactylae), so that I 



series. 



75-300 in diameter. The oogonia 

 are usually clustered, but sometimes isolated never on the first node ; 

 the oospores vary from 340-375 long and 285-320 broad, always 

 with 7-9 ridges. The surface of the spore seems to have a super- 

 ficial and dense grumous layer of felted fibres, covering a granu- 

 lated surface, but the granules are not pointed and do not pro- 

 trude through the felted layer. 



This species seems to me to belong rather to the macrodacty. 

 lae division, and to be allied to my new N. expansa, to which its 



