tenacious, not soon decomposing, becoming soft on exposure. The plant 

 adheres very firmly to paper in drying, and when dry has a glossy surface. 



The genus Chondria, as revised by Prof. J. Agardh (see 

 Harv. Ner. Bor. Aiiier. part 2. p. 19), now includes a consi- 

 derable number of species, several of which are natives of Aus- 

 tralia, including the type of the genus, Ch. dasypliylla {Fuciis 

 dasyplujllus. Turn.). It was formerly included in Laurencia, to 

 which, externally, the Chondrice have considerable resemblance, 

 but the structure of the axis is decidedly different, and there 

 are other differences which warrant the removal of Chondria to 

 the Rhodomelacea. 



Our Chondria verticillata, though allied to several, is well 

 characterized by its partly umbellate, partly whorled ramifica- 

 tion, the softness and yet tenacity of its substance, and the dull 

 or dark colour. It is perhaps nearest to C. wnhellula, but is a 

 very much larger, more robust, and more branching plant. It 

 is less brightly coloured than C. clavata, differently branched, 

 and of softer substance, and does not shed its ramuli in fresh- 

 water. Though found in several distant localities, it appears to 

 be among the rarer kinds. 



Fig. 1. Chondria verticillata, — the natural size. 2. A ceraraidium. 

 3. Spores from the same. 4. Two ramuli, with tetraspores. 5. A tetra- 

 spore : — the latter figures magnified. 



