Ser. RuoposperMEa. Fam. Squamariee. 
Prare CCLXIX. 
PEYSSONNELIA MULTIFIDA, Zav. 
Gen. Cuar. Frond flat, horizontally expanded, rooting by fibrils from the 
lower surface ; composed of two strata of cells ; the lower stratum of 
horizontal cylindrical cells, arranged in cohering, longitudinal fila- 
ments; the upper of similar cells, set in vertical cohering filaments. 
Fructification of both kinds lodged in superficial warts (nemathe- 
cia): spores roundish, in moniliform strings ; ¢e¢raspores cruciate. 
—Puryssonnecta (Dene.), in honour of J. A. Peyssonnel, an early and 
meritorious observer of marine plants, especially of Corallines. 
Frons plana, horizontaliter expansa, inferiore pagina radicans, stratis duobus 
contexta ; strato inferiore cellulis cylindraceis horizontalibus in fila longitu- 
dinalia coherentia seriatis, superiore cellulis similibus in fila verticalia ordi- 
natis constante. Fruct.: utriusque generis in nematheciis evoluti. Spore 
subrotunde, moniliformiter seriate ; tetraspore oblonga, cruciatim divise. 
PryssonneLia mudtifida ; frond coriaceous, opaque, dull red-brown, dicho- 
tomo-multifid, with reflexed margins; apices and axils obtuse; under 
surface concolorous, nearly glabrous. 
P. multifida ; fronde coriacea opaca obscure fusco-rubra dichotomo-multifida, 
subtus concolori glabriuscula, marginibus refleais, axillis apicibusque oblusis. 
PryssoNNELIA multifida, Harv. Alg. Austr. Exsic. No. 329. 
Has. Tidal rocks, at Newcastle, N. S. Wales, rare, WV. H. H. 
Grocer. Distr. East coast of Australia. 
Descr. Frond attached at the base only by an expanded disc, ascending or sub- 
erect, very much branched in an irregularly dichotomous manner, 2-4 inches 
long, and fully as much in the expansion of the laciniz. Lacinie preserv- 
ing a nearly uniform breadth of 3-4 lines throughout, linear, with recurved 
or revolute, somewhat thickened, margins, several times forked, all the di- 
visions erecto-patent, with rounded sinuses and very obtuse apices. The 
under surface is nearly glabrous, being only furnished with a very few 
minute, scattered hairs, which are not obvious without the microscope ;_ it 
is concolorous with the rest of the frond (but frequently incrusted with 
zoophytes and corallines). ‘The structure is dense, consisting of the usual 
under and upper stratum proper to the genus. No fruit has yet been ob- 
served. The colour is a very dark, red-brown, turning almost black in 
drying. The substance is rigid when dry, coriaceous and tough when re- 
cent. It does not adhere to paper. 
RARAPARAL IOS ~ ——— oe 
