Ser. Melanosperme^. Fam. Fucacea. 



Plate CCXIX. 



MYRIODESMA SERRULATA, Dene, 



Gen. Char. Root discoid. Stem terete, branched; the branches termi- 

 nating in dichotomous, midribbed leaves. Proper receptacles and 

 vesicles none. Spore -cavities scattered over both surfaces of the 

 leaves, hemispherically prominent, monoecious. Spores obovoid, sub- 

 sessile. Paranemata simple. — Myriodesma [Dene.), from iivpio<i, a 

 thousand, and Seafir}, a tuft or cluster; from the numerous spore- 

 clusters. 



Radix scutata. Caulis teres, ramosus ; ramis in pJiyllodia dicJiotoma costata 

 desinentibus. Receptacida propria et vesic?da nulla. ScapJiidia in utraque 

 pagiuafoliorum sparsa, hemispheerice prominentia, monoica. Spora obovoidece, 

 subsessiles. Paranemata simpliciuscula. 



Myriodesma serrulata ; stem terete ; leaves linear, simple or dichotomous, 



sharply toothed, midribbed ; spore-cavities in a single row at each 



side of the rib. 

 M. serrulata ; foliis a caule tereti linearibus simplicibus aut subdichotomis de- 



compositis acute serratis costatis ; scapJiidiis juxta costam singula utrinque 



serie dispositis. Ag. I. c. 

 Myriodesma serrulata, Bene, in ArcMv. Mus. v. 11. p. 148. Midi. ZrdSuppl. 



p. 29. 

 Myriodesma serrulatum, Sand, in PI. Preiss. v. 2. p. 157. /. Ag. Sp. Alg. 



«. 1. t?. 191. Kiitz. Sp. p. ^%%. 



DiCTYOPTERis serrulata, Lamx. Ess. t. 11. f. 6. 

 Haliseris serrulata, Ag. Sp. p. 14't. 

 Ehodomela serrulata, Ag. Syst. p. 197 (partim). 

 DicTYOMENiA sermlata, Grev. Sgn. p. li. 

 Hab. Western Australia, ifg/-(5. Paris, Preiss!, Mylne. Cape Riche, W.H.H. 

 Geogr. Distr. West and south-west coast of Australia. 



Descr. Stem terete, 1-2 lines in diameter, repeatedly branched, irregularly 

 dichotomous, the divisions patent, the lower parts naked, the upper laxly 

 set with leafy fronds, and each division terminating in a similar leaf. Leaves 

 or leaf-like branches linear, midribbed, sharply serrated, alternately or sub- 

 dichotomously divided, the segments erecto-patcnt, obtuse, 1-3 inches long. 

 Spore-cavitii's pore-like, dispersed along the leaves, in a single or rarely 

 double row between the midrib and margin : no spores seen on the speci- 

 men examined. The colour is brownish-olive, becoming darker in drying. 



