Ser. Rhodosperme^. I'am. RhodomelacecB. 



Plate CLXXXIV. 



POLYSIPHONIA BLANDI, Harv. 



Gen. Char. Froiul filiform, partially or generally articulate; the joints 

 longitudinally striate, composed of numerous cylindrical cells sur- 

 rounding a central cell (sometimes coated with one or several rows of 

 smaller cells). Fructification : 1, ovate or urceolate ceramidia, con- 

 taining a tuft of pear-shaped spores; 2, tetraspores, immersed in 

 swollen branches. — Polysiphonia {Grev.), from ttoXv^, many, and 

 (Ti(})(ov, a tube. 



FronsfiUformis, phis minus articnlata ; articulis longitudinaliter pluristriatis, 

 ex cellidis 4-20 cylindraceis cellidam centralem cingeutibus formatis (nunc 

 celluUs miiioribus pluriseriatis corticatisj. Fruct. : \, ceramidia ; 2, tetra- 

 sporce in ramulis idtimis uniseriatce. 



PoLYSiPHONiA Blandi ; dark red-brown ; fronds subsolitary, capillary, pel- 

 lucidly articulate, dichotomously or alternately decompound; the lower 

 branches bare, all the upper (younger) ones closely set with short, 

 corymbose, multifid, alternate ramuli ; apices of the ramuli densely 

 fibrilliferous ; articulations 4-tubed, the lower 2-3 times, the upper 

 once and half as long as broad ; ceramidia globose, sessile or terminal, 

 with wide apertures. 



P. Blandi ; hadia ; frondibus subsolitariis paucisve capillaribus pellucide articii- 

 latis dicJiotomis v. alterne decompositis ; divisuris hiferioribus nndis, superior- 

 ibiis (juuioribus) ramidiferis ; ramulis alternis corymbosis brevibus multifidis 

 apice densissime fibriUifei'is ; articulis hiferioribus diametro 2-2>-plo, supe- 

 rioribus sesquilongioribus ; ceramidiis globosis sessilibus terndnalibusq^ue. 



PoLYsiPHONiA Blandi, Harv. Alg. Austr. Exsic. n. 170. 



Hab. New Brighton, Port Phillip, W. H. H. 



Geogr. Distr. Port Phillip. 



Descr. Root discoid. Fro7ids either solitary or few together, not entangled, three 

 or four inches high, rather thicker than human hair, but not as thick as 

 bristle, repeatedly but irregularly forked ; the lowest division mostly dicho- 

 tomous, the upper more alternate ; all the lower naked, with distant forks 

 and acute axils ; the upper somewhat virgate, closely set throughout with 

 short multifid ramuli. Ramidi 2-3 lines long, corymbose, alternately mul- 

 tifid ; all their divisions densely fibrilliferous, with dark-coloured, dichoto- 

 mous fibres. Articulations short throughout the frond ; the lower not much 

 longer than the upper, none more than thrice as long as broad, 4 tubed, 

 with thick walls. Ceramidia quite sessile, very wide in proportion to the 

 length, with large apertures ; sometimes they are lateral, and sometimes 

 they terminate the brauchlets. Tetraspores in distorted ultimate ramuli. 



