Ser. Rhodosperme;e. Fam. Rhodomelacea. 



Plate CLXXXIX. 



CHONDRIA CLAV ATA, //«... 



Gen. Char. Frond filiform, cartilaginous, dendroid, opaque, coated with 

 small, polygonal, irregularly placed cells. Axis articulated, polysi- 

 phonous. Ramuli clavseform, much constricted at their insertion. 

 Fructification : 1, ovate ceramidia ; 2, tripartite tetraspores, formed 

 irregularly in the clavate ramuli. — Cuoxdria {Ag.), ')(pvBpo<i, car- 

 tilage. 



Frons fiUformis, cartilaginea, dendroidea, opaca, cellulis irregularibns polygonis 

 corticata. Axis' articulatus, polysiphoiims. Ramuli clavati, basi constricti. 

 Fruct.: 1, ceramidia ovata; 2, tetrasporce trianyule divisce, in ram,ulis im- 

 tnerscB, sparsa v. irregulariter aggregates. 



Chondria clavata ; frond terete, juicy, blood-red, robust, irregularly 

 branched ; branches spreading toward all sides, undivided, beset with 

 lateral branches and ramuli; ramuli opposite, tufted or scattered, 

 often incurved, cylindrical, very obtuse, much constricted at base, or 

 stipitate ; ceramidia ovate, lateral, shortly pedicellate ; tetraspores in 

 the apices of the ramuli. 



C. clavata ; fronde tereti succosa sanguiuea robusta vage ramosissima ; raniis quo- 

 quuversum egredientibus indivisis ramis lateralibus ranmlisque onustis; ramulis 

 oppositis fa^ciculatis v. sparsis scspius incurvis cylindraceis obtusissimis basi 

 valde coustrictis v. stipitatis, ceramidiis ovatis brevissime pedicellatis, ietra- 

 sporis sub apice ramidorum nidulantibus. 



Laurencia clavata, Sond. in Linn. v. 25. p. 694. 



Chondria corynephora, JIarv. in Trans. R. I. Acad. v. 22. p. 539 ; Alg. Ausfr. 

 Exsic. n. 159. 



Hab. Lefebre Peninsula, Br. Mueller. Abundant at Garden Island, 

 Western Australia, at Port Riche, Port Fairy, etc., W. II. II. Fre- 

 mantle, G. Clifton. 



fxEOGR. DisTR. Western and southern coasts of Australia. 



Descr. Root discoid, sometimes branching. Frond 6-8 inches high, the stem 

 and branches nearly a line in diameter, terete, very much, but very irregu- 

 larly branched, once, twice, or thrice compounded, and thickly covered with 

 irregularly inserted, almost imbricating ramuli. The branches spread in 

 every direction, and the general frond, when taken up fresh, is very bushy 

 and tree-like. The ramuli are 5-18 lines long, succulent, a line or rather 

 more in diameter, nearly cylindrical for their greater length, suddenly taper- 

 ing to the base, very obtuse, and often incurved ; they are more or less 

 abundant, and very irregularly inserted, frequently clustered, sometimes 

 scattered, and sometimes opposite or whorled ; they fall off very readily 



