Ser. CHLOROSPiiRMEiE. Tam. Sipkonacea. 



Plate CLXXVIII. 



CAULERPA TAXIFOLIA, {var.,) Ag. 



Gen. Chah. 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. — 

 Cauleepa [Larnx.), from Kav\o<i, a stem, and epTrto, to creep. 



Frons ex surcuUs prostraiis kic illic radicantibiis et ramis erectis pohjmorplds 

 formata. Substantia corneo-memliranacea. Structura unicellulosa, cellulce 

 membrana continua Jiyalina intus fills cartilagineis tenuissimis anastomosanti- 

 hus firmata et endochromate deuso viridi repleta. Fr. ignota. 



Cauleepa taxifolia ; var. asplenioicles ; surculus glabrous ; fronds erect, 

 subsessile, simple or branched, pectinato-pinnatifid ; rachis piano- 

 compressed ; pinnae opposite, two-edged, linear-falcate, mucronate, 

 constricted at base, entire at the margin. 



C. taxifolia, var. asplenioides ; surculo glabra ; frondibus erectis subsessilibus 

 simplicibus v. ramosis pectinato-pinnatifidis ; racJdde piano- compresso ; pinnis 

 oppositis ancipitibus lineari-falcatis mucronatis basi constrlctis integerrimis. 



Caulerpa taxifolia, Ag. Sp. Jig. v. 1. p. 435 ; Si/st. p. 180. Kiitz. Sp. Alg. 

 p. 495. 



Caulerpa pennata, Lamour. Journ. Bot. 1809, jo. 143. t. 2./. 2. 



Cauleepa asplenioides, Grev. Ann. Nat. Hist. ser. 2. v. 12. p. 2. t. 1. f. 1, 



Fucus taxifolius, Fa/d. 



Fucus pinnatus, Linn. Suppl. p. 452, ex parte? 



Hab. Albany Island, north-eastern Australia, F)r. Ferd. Mueller. 



Geogk. Diste. The tropical seas generally, ou coral reefs and stems of man- 

 g:i'ove. East and West Indies. Red Sea. Islands of the tropical Pacific. 

 Hongkong. 



Desce. Surculus as thick or twice as thick as hog's-bristle, several inches long, 

 rooting at subdistant intervals, the root deeply descending. Fronds 3-6 

 inches long or more, either quite simple or branched by lateral innovations, 

 the branches irregular, 3-4 inches long, similar to the main frond. A very 

 short stipes, 2-6 lines long, at the base of the frond, is bare of pinnae ; thence, 

 upwards to the apex, the rachis is closely pectiuato-pinnated with opposite, 

 nearly equal, lanceolate-bnear, acute, sub-incurved, and falcate, verticnlly 

 flattened pinnae, \-\ line wide, 2-4 lines long. The colour is a brilliant, 

 rather yellowish green ; that of the rachis somewhat orange. The surface 



