BoT— Vol. II.] NOTT—CALIFORNIAN NITOPHYLLA. 5 



else access has been had to material which has not come 

 under the writer's observation. A further consideration of 

 these forms will be found in the remarks upon species in a 

 later portion of this paper. 



The writings of the three authors mentioned above, viz., 

 Harvey, Agardh, and Farlow, constitute the important liter- 

 ature upon Calif ornian JVitophylla, and their work alone 

 will be considered in the further discussion of the species. 



III. General Description. 



The fuller discussion of the species of Nitofhyllum of the 

 Californian coast will be advanced by some special treat- 

 ment of the prominent morphological characters and geo- 

 graphical distribution of the genus itself, for the sake of the 

 increased light thrown by such treatment upon like points 

 in connection with the forms to be hereafter discussed. 



The following synopsis exhibits the principal characters 

 of this genus and will be followed by a discussion of some 

 special features of morphology and distribution, as illus- 

 trated by Californian species. 



Synopsis of Generic Characters. 



Frond either erect or exhibiting a prostrate and an erect 

 portion. 



Prostrate frond creeping, linear, or irregularly expanded 

 or membranous, occasionally with midrib, nerves, or veins; 

 with or without rhizoids; variously lobed, divided or 

 branched, occasionally proliferating; branches rising at 

 intervals into erect fronds; margin entire, serrate, dentate, 

 crenate, undulate, or lobed; sometimes forming offshoots 

 and innovations. 



Erect fronds rising from holdfast or prostrate frond, 

 singly or several together; sessile, subsessile, or stalked; 

 flat and linear, or membranous, variously lobed, divided, 

 forked, segmented, and branched; frequently proliferating; 



