•i- line long, and either distichous or irregularly decussating. The frond is 

 corticated throughout with several rows of minute, coloured cellules, through 

 which the internal articulations are scarcely visible, except in the smaller ra- 

 muli; the rff»i6'Z/i are plainly articulate, and cross-banded at the dissepiments 

 with rows of coloured, dot-like cellules. Cystocarp^ (found on half-denuded 

 fronds, in the winter season) borne on the tips of shortened ramelli, sub- 

 globose, imperfectly 3-lobed, without involucre, containing three clusters of 

 spores. Teh'aspores unknown. Colour o{ the frond dark-red; of the ra- 

 muli a full blood-red or rosy. Substance rather rigid. In drying it very 

 imperfectly adheres to paper. 



A distinctly -marked and rather extensively distributed species 

 of Spyridia ; a small genus, whose typical species, S. filamentosa, 

 is almost cosmopolitan, being absent only from the colder zones. 

 The specimens of our S. ojjposita from New Zealand, quite ac- 

 cord with those from the south coast of Australia, but are rather 

 less luxuriant than Mr. Clifton's from western Australia, None 

 that we have seen produce tetraspores ; nor have cystocarps been 

 found except by Mr. C. Stuart, from one of whose specimens our 

 figure has been taken. The exactly opposite and nearly disti- 

 chous ramelli easily distinguish this from any variety of S. fila- 

 mentosa. The structure of frond and ramelli is nearly the same in 

 both species. The colour of S. opposita is much fuller, brighter, 

 and more enduring. 



Fig. 1. Spyridia opposita, — tlie natural size. 2. A ramulus, pinnulated with 

 opposite ramelli. 3. A ramellus, inserted on a fragment of the ramulus. 

 4. Section of a ramellus. 5,6. Section of a younger and older branch of 

 the frond. 7. A three-lobed cystocarp in situ. 8. String of spores from 

 the same : — variously magnijied. 



