CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. IProc. 3D Ser. 



I. Introduction. 



Our knowledge of the genus Nitophyllum Grev. as rep- 

 resented upon the coast of California and adjacent shores 

 has been hitherto of a fragmentary and limited nature. 

 The number of species found in the region named, the 

 points of their occurrence, and their identity with the forms 

 already known, or their title to recognition as distinct spe- 

 cies, have been for some time largely matters of conjecture. 

 With a view of providing a more connected account of 

 these species, so far as data could be obtained, the follow- 

 ing descriptions and accompanying notes upon distribution 

 are presented. 



II. History. 



The first notice of Californian Nito^hylla, so far as the 

 writer is aware, was made by W. H. Harvey (1858, Pt. II, 

 p. 104, Supp., p. 128), who mentions the species of Nito- 

 phyllum then known upon the western coast of North 

 America. Two forms, N. fryeanu^n and N. laceratum(N. 

 violaceumy , were mentioned as occurring at Golden Gate, 

 San Francisco Bay, California. Still later, in a "Notice 

 of a Collection of Algae made on the Northwest Coast of 

 North America, chiefly at Vancouver's Island, by David 

 Lyall, in the years 1859-61." Harvey (1862, p. 170) 

 gives the original description of Hyniencna latissima (N. 

 latissimiim), specimens of which were dredged, or found 

 adrift in Esquimault Harbor, Vancouver's Island, B. C. 



The next mention of Californian Nitofhylla is found in 

 the "Bidrag till Florideernes Systematik" of J. G. Agardh 

 (1871, p. 49), where reference is made to Harvey's species 

 Hymenena latissima Harv. (N, latissimum). 



A noteworthy addition to the number of North American 

 species was made when Professor W. G. Farlow (1875, 

 p. 365) published a "List of the Marine Algse of the United 

 States, with Notes of New and Imperfectly Known Species. ' ' 



' The names in parentheses are those applied to the species as recognized in this 

 paper, where the quoted name differs. 



