﻿Setchell: 
  The 
  marine 
  spermatophytes 
  565 
  

  

  the 
  ripened 
  and 
  detached 
  fruits. 
  After 
  the 
  pulpy 
  exocarp 
  is 
  worn 
  

   away 
  from 
  the 
  ripe 
  drupe-Hke 
  fruit, 
  there 
  remains 
  the 
  black 
  horn- 
  

   like 
  mesocarp 
  exposed 
  to 
  view. 
  The 
  fruit, 
  in 
  this 
  condition, 
  looks 
  

   like 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  some 
  large 
  beetle 
  with 
  two 
  projecting 
  and 
  in- 
  

   wardly 
  curved 
  but 
  unjointed 
  antennae, 
  or 
  possibly 
  mandibular 
  

   structures. 
  The 
  inner 
  edges 
  of 
  these 
  arms, 
  w^hich 
  come 
  off 
  at 
  an 
  

   acute 
  angle 
  from 
  the 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  flattened 
  turbinate 
  main 
  body 
  of 
  

   the 
  fruit, 
  have 
  inwardly 
  and 
  upwardly 
  pointing 
  stout 
  fringing 
  

  

  bristles. 
  By 
  means 
  of 
  these 
  arms 
  and 
  their 
  bristly 
  armature, 
  

  

  the 
  fruit, 
  floating 
  in 
  the 
  waves 
  may 
  grasp 
  a 
  jointed 
  coralline 
  on 
  

   the 
  otherwise 
  bare 
  and 
  smooth 
  rock 
  and 
  tightly 
  cling 
  to 
  it. 
  It 
  

   may 
  also 
  germinate 
  in 
  position 
  on 
  the 
  coralline 
  and, 
  as 
  the 
  rhizome 
  

   develops, 
  it 
  sends 
  out 
  a 
  quantity 
  of 
  stout 
  roots 
  from 
  each 
  segment. 
  

   The 
  roothairs, 
  which 
  are 
  produced 
  in 
  abundance, 
  attach 
  themselves 
  

   to 
  the 
  rocks 
  and 
  also 
  catch 
  and 
  hold 
  floating 
  sand, 
  and 
  this 
  process 
  

   continues 
  as 
  the 
  rootstock 
  goes 
  on 
  developing 
  until 
  a 
  small 
  patch 
  

   of 
  sand 
  is 
  formed 
  about 
  the 
  developing 
  plant. 
  A 
  small 
  beach 
  

   may 
  thus 
  be 
  formed 
  among 
  the 
  rocks. 
  This 
  behavior 
  makes 
  it 
  

   evident 
  by 
  what 
  method 
  the 
  Phyllospadix 
  obtains 
  its 
  foothold 
  

   and 
  maintains 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  exposed 
  rocky 
  shores 
  where 
  it, 
  alone 
  of 
  all 
  

   the 
  marine 
  spermatophytes, 
  can 
  make 
  its 
  home. 
  The 
  mud- 
  and 
  

   sand-inhabiting 
  species 
  are 
  distributed 
  over 
  wide 
  areas 
  by 
  the 
  

   plants 
  and 
  portions 
  of 
  plants, 
  especially 
  those 
  having 
  portions 
  of 
  

   the 
  rhizomes 
  or 
  ripened 
  or 
  ripening 
  fruits, 
  which 
  are 
  torn 
  away, 
  or 
  

   dislodged 
  in 
  some 
  fashion, 
  and 
  float 
  long 
  distances, 
  as 
  happens 
  so 
  

   constantly 
  and 
  on 
  such 
  a 
  large 
  scale 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  Zoztera 
  marina 
  

   (cf. 
  Ostenfeld, 
  1908, 
  p. 
  6, 
  15) 
  and 
  in 
  very 
  special 
  form 
  in 
  Cymodocea 
  

   antarctica 
  (cf. 
  Tepper, 
  1881). 
  As 
  to 
  the 
  salinity 
  and 
  specific 
  

   gravity 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  marine 
  spermatopl 
  

   is 
  probably 
  enough 
  to 
  state 
  that 
  the 
  designation 
  "marine" 
  is 
  

   intended 
  to 
  convey 
  that 
  the 
  plants 
  included 
  are 
  inhabitants 
  of 
  

   salt 
  as 
  distinguished 
  from 
  brackish 
  water 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  variation 
  in 
  

   salt 
  content 
  is 
  comparatively 
  slight 
  (cf. 
  Ostenfeld, 
  1908, 
  p. 
  17, 
  and 
  

  

  Osterhout, 
  191 
  7). 
  

  

  The 
  topographical 
  conditions 
  and 
  considerations 
  just 
  enumer- 
  

   ated 
  have 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  the 
  various 
  marine 
  spermatophyte 
  or 
  "niacro- 
  

   enhalid" 
  formations 
  and 
  associations 
  found 
  in 
  various 
  zones, 
  

   regions, 
  provinces 
  and 
  districts 
  of 
  the 
  marine 
  flora, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  

  

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