﻿78 Allen: Contributions to Japanese Characeae 



The elongated first member of the leaf is taken to be a feature 

 of this species ; it determines the peculiar aspect of the plant when 

 growing and is quite unique. 



NlTELLA PSEUDOFLABELLATA IMPERIALIS var. nOV. 



Plants 20-25 cm. long ; stems usually simple, 540 ft in diam 

 Verticils remote (in the middle portions, 3-4 cm. distant), 12-15 

 mm. in diam. Leaves 5-8 mm. long : first segment longest {longer 

 than half of the enthe leaf, about 220 fi in diam. : second segment 

 102 in diam., about 1200 fi long ; third segment 68 in diam., 54° 

 long; fourth segment 54 in diam., about 600 long (if divided), 

 when the fifth seg. becomes terminal it is about 800 long. The 

 leaf bears three, and frequently four nodes, the first is sterile usually, 

 and bears 6-8 rays; the second node, fertile, bears 4-5 rays, some 

 of which may be undivided. The third node, also fertile, carries 

 4 or 5 rays, and these are frequently again divided, this fourth node 

 bearing three (usually) terminals. The mucro is pronounced, 

 about 27 in diam. at base, by 82-102 long. Fruit mostly on the 

 second and third nodes [not seen on the first or last nodes) ; 

 oogonia isolated, oospore black, with seven or eight pronounced 

 ridges, 326 long, 272 broad. Membrane covered with a fine close 

 felt of fine hairs. 



The membrane of the spore is most similar to the specimens 



Kong, and differ from those from A 



j 



In the size of the spores and the character of the membrane it can- 

 not be separated from the Chinese form. These plants from Japan 

 seem to be covered with mucus, which, when dried, causes a glis- 

 tening appearance to the specimens and glues them tightly to the 

 paper. Collected in Mishitani pond, Fujisato village, prow Ise, 

 Japan, in September. 



While the similarity in the oospore connects this form with 

 the Chinese form, the Japanese plant is strikingly different in its 

 general habit, and following the advice of Nordstedt I give it a dis- 

 tinct varietal name imperialis. 



NlTELLA PSEUDOFLABELLATA RAMUSCULA Var. nOV. 



Plants about 15 cm. long, diffusely branched, slender, about 

 400/^ in diam. Verticils often crowded (the leaves exceeding the 

 length of the internodes), consisting of 8 leaves. The leaves are 

 5-8 mm. in length ; the first segment longer than half the length of 

 the leaf 175-220 in diam. The leaf is usually thrice divided; 



