BOT.-VOL. II.] NOTT—CALIFORNIAN NITOPHYLLA. 1 5 



of the globe. It has been found in the Arctic and Antarc- 

 tic oceans, along the shores of the continents bordering 

 upon the Atlantic and the Pacific, in the Mediterranean Sea 

 and the Indian ocean, and in the waters of Australia. The 

 coast of the British Islands is particularly rich in species, 

 while some of the finest examples of the genus come from 

 Australia. 



About seventy species are known, of which number ten 

 occur on the west coast of North America. Of the ten 

 species thus credited, eight are limited to California or 

 neighboring shores. A ninth species, N. iincinaUitn, is one 

 of the oldest known forms, and is more widely distributed, 

 being found in the Adriatic Sea, on the coast of Australia, 

 in California, on the shores of Europe, in the upper Atlan- 

 tic and Mediterranean Sea, and in New Zealand waters. 

 The tenth species, N. harveyanum, is an inhabitant of New 

 Zealand coasts. 



Habitat. — The species of JVitophyllitm occur on other 

 algae and on Phyllospadix ; on bare rocks exposed to the 

 dash of the waves or protected from their violence; or upon 

 rock surfaces which have become thickly coated with Cor- 

 allines or various Porif era and Bryozoa ; or upon the piles 

 of wharves on the surface of the wood. The plants range 

 from the littoral zone between tide marks to the sublittoral 

 zone and have been dredged at a depth of 12-15 fathoms. 



IV. Description and Distribution of Species. 



Key to the Californian Species of Nitophyllum. 



Frond provided with midrib only, or with midrib and nerves, or midrib, 

 nerves, and usually conspicuous veins. 

 Frond with midrib only, margin of frond serrate or dentate, sori in 

 rounded patches on distal lobes of frond. 



N. under soniannm (32). 

 Frond with midrib and nerves, but without veins. 



Sori forming flabellate lines on upper segments of frond. 



N. harveyanum (29). 

 Sori forming transverse patches on upper segments of frond. 



N. multilobum (27). 



