out, and bare of cortical cellules, every articulation crowned with a whorl 

 of ramelli. RamelU one or two lines long, erecto-patent, incurved, the 

 whorls so close as to imbricate each other ; each ramellus trichotomous or irre- 

 gularly dichotomous, composed of slender cylindrical cellules, many times 

 longer than their diameter, the terminal cell being perfectly obtuse. The 

 articulations of the stem are 3-4 times as long as broad, but vary in differ- 

 ent specimens and parts ; they are always pellucidly bordered, with a nar- 

 row endochrome and wide dissepiments. The cystocarps are wholly com- 

 posed of clusters of pyriform, wide-margined spores, destitute of paranemata, 

 but surrounded by whorled ramelli. The tetraspores are spherical, and form 

 pedicellate clusters at the joints of the ramelli. The colour when quite re- 

 cent is rose-red, but of a very fugitive quality, and the plant turns a pale 

 brownish-red, or ochraceous, in the herbarium. The substance is very soft 

 and tender, soon decomposing in fresh-water ; and the plant, in dryings ad- 

 heres most closely to paper. 



At a first glance, tlie Alga here figured bears a striking re- 

 semblance to the well-known British species Halurus eqiiiseti- 

 fol'ms, a resemblance hinted at in the specific name. The sub- 

 stance, however, is very much softer, and the whole frond quickly 

 breaks up and melts to jelly when put into fresh- water ; the 

 colour also is paler and more fugacious, and the fructification 

 quite different. The present is a genuine Wrangelia, a genus 

 which has many beautiful species in Australia, where it appears 

 to reach its maximum of development, both as to number and 

 size. These several species exhibit considerable variety of as- 

 pect, while agreeing in fruit and in essential character. Some 

 resemble Callithamnia, others Dasyce, others Spyridice, others 

 Griffithsia and Haluri ; it is difficult therefore to say which 

 should be regarded as the central groups. As this work pro- 

 ceeds we shall figure the more remarkable, omitting those already 

 figured in the ' Flora Tasmanica.' 



Fig. 1. Wrangelia Halurus, — the natural size. 2. A joint bearing a ra»?e^ZM5j 

 with tetraspores. 3. Portion of the same. 4. Short branch, with whorled 

 ramelli and a cystocarp. 4. Tuft of spores from the cystocarps : — the 

 latter figures variously magnified. 



