470 M. FOSLIE. 



Locality. The Maldives : Hulule, Male Atoll, a quite young and sterile specimen appears 

 to belong to the form in question; and the Laccadives: Minikoi Atoll. 



9. G. Fosliei (Heydr.) Fosl. (Plate XXV. fig. 3). 



In Viden^k. Selsk: Ski\ 1901, No. 2, p. 8. 



Lithothamnion Fosliei Heydr. in Ber. Deutsch. Bot. Ges. 1897, p. 58; ex parte sec. spec; 

 Lithophylluvi Fosliei Heydr. I.e. p. 410. 



As remarked by me (I.e.) this species in part included an Arehaeolithothamnion. According 

 to remarks of its author it properly is a Lithophyllum, but the latter genus includes in 

 his opinion also Goniolithon. Therefore, I here refer the species to this genus, in part 

 according to an authentic specimen that I possess, in addition to the specimens in this 

 collection. It appears, Jiowever, to me to be a question whether the species does not represent 

 a new subgenus of Goniolithon, as the carpospores in some respects differ from the type of 

 the latter, but the significance and value of this difference is not yet fully known. 



The species in several respects comes near to Goniolithon Notarisii, especially in regard 

 to the sporangia. The last-named organs have till now been unknown. In one of the 

 specimens from the Laccadives I met with conceptacles of sporangia, and in another with 

 conceptacles of cystocarps. The former are 450 — 650 (jl in diameter seen from above, thus 

 rather smaller but of the same shape as the conceptacles of cystocarps, which are 800 — 

 1100 /i in diameter. The sporangia are four-parted, 70 — 80 /a long and 30—40 /i broad. 



As far as hitherto known the species frequently sticks to corals in the uppermost part 

 of the sublittoral zone, and perhaps also in the littoral zone. It appears to grow in companj^ 

 with other species, sometimes even anastomosing with these, such as Lithophyllum craspedium 

 and L. oncodes. Plate XXV. fig. 3 shows a rather young specimen attached to a coral. In 

 the Laccadives the plant is provided with reproductive organs towards the end of July. 



Locality. The Maldives : Hulule, Male atoll ; and the Laccadives : Minikoi atoll. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES XXIV— XXV. 



All the figures from photographs in natural size. 



Plate XXIV. 



Fig. 1. Arehaeolithothamnion Schmidtii f. dissita Fosl. An apparently young specimen, almost 

 surrounding a coral. 



Fig. 2. Lithothamnion fruticulosum (Ktitz.) Fosl. f. crassiuscula Fosl. A fully developed specimen, 

 attached to a coral. 



Fig. 3. Lithothamnion fruticulosum (Kiitz.) Fosl. forma. An almost spherical specimen of a rather 

 hard consistency, with rather numerous partly overgrown Polyzoa and other animals. 



Fig. 4. Lithophyllum Reinboldi A. Web. et Fosl. A rather young but typically developed specimen, 

 attached to a coral. 



Fig. 5. Lithophyllum Kaiserii Heydr. A coarse form of the species. 



