Sei'. Chlorospkrme/E. Fam. SiplionacecB. 



Plate CLXl. 



CAULERPA DISTICHOPHYLLA, Somi 



Gen. Char. Frond consisting of prostrate surculi, rooting from their 

 lower surface, and throwing up erect branches (or secondary fronds) 

 of various shapes. Substance horny-membranous, destitute of cal- 

 careous matter. Structure unicellular, the cell continuous, strength- 

 ened internally by a spongy network of anastomosing filaments, and 

 filled with semifluid, grumous matter. Fructification unknown. — 

 Caulerpa [Lamoc.), from Kav\o<;, a stem, and epirw, to creep. 



Frons ex sur cutis pr'ostratis hie illic radicantibus et ramis erectis polymorpJds 

 fonnata. Substantia corneo-membrauacea. Structura unicelltilosa, cellula 

 memhrana continua hyalina intusjilis cartilagineis tenuissimis anastomosauti- 

 hus firmata et endrochromate denso viridi repteta. Fr. ignota. 



Caulerpa distlcliophylla ; surculus setaceous, glabrous ; fronds erect, fili- 

 form, simple or sparingly branched, closely pectinato- pinnate, with 

 minute, subulate, distichous or subtristichous ramenta ; ramenta ob- 

 tuse or submucronulate, incurved, not narrowed at base. 



C. distichophylla ; surculo setaceo glabra, fi'ondibus erectis filiformibus simpli- 

 cibus V. parce ramosis crebre pectinato-pinnatis, pinnis (ranientis) minutis 

 subulatis (jmdoribus falcatis) distichis v. subtristichis obtusis v. mucronula- 

 tis basi non angustatis. 



Caulerpa distichophylla, Sond. PI. Preiss. v. %.p. 150, Harv. Alg. Austr. 

 Exsic. n. 553. 



Caulerpa tenella, Harv. in Trans. R. I. Acad. v. 22. p. 564. 



Hab. Western Austraha, Preiss. On "the Jetty-reef^' at Rottnest Island, 



rare, JF. H. H. 

 Geogr. Distr. Western Australia. 



Descr. Surculus 3-3 inches long, as thick or twice as thick as hog's-bristle, 

 quite glabrous, emitting a few, slender, short roots. Fronds 1-3 inches 

 high, simple or forked, or bearing 2-4 distant, alternate, lateral, undivided 

 branches, narrow-linear in outhne, closely pectinato-pinnate througliout, 

 with very short ramenta. Ramenta (or pinnse) \-\ line long, erecto-patent, 

 subincurved, from a broad base bluntly subulate, opposite or subalternate, 

 either exactly distichous or irregularly tristichous, and occasionally sub- 

 spirally inserted. Colour a dark bottle-green, glossy when dry. Substance 

 horny-membranous, imperfectly adhering to paper in drying. 



A small, slender, weak -growing, and decidedly a rare species. 



