8 CHARACEAZ AMERICAN. 
var. Mreyent (Ch. Oahuensis Meyen). Delicate habit, characterized by the elongated 
cells of the coronula. (Sandwich Islands.) 
the polymorphous variety found in America may be described as follows: 
Euchara, Haplostephana, Unistipulata, Ecorticata, Moneca; Plants variable in size 
from six to eighteen inches in length; stems tufted from a single root, much branched, 
bright green or sometimes olivaceous ; stems not corticated, perfectly smooth, glistening 
when dry; wéthout incrustation ;* Whorls of leaves numerous, subtended by whorls of 
stipules ; leaves in a whorl 8-11; s¢épules as many as the leaves and alternate with them, 
in young whorls as long as or longer than the first node of the leaf, in old whorls becoming 
much shorter (as the internode elongates). Zeaves numerous, 8-11 in a whorl, elongated, 
longer than the internode of the stem (except in fully developed plants or internodes), the 
upper ones long, overlapping the nodes and forming a dense spike which opens out after 
fruiting ; (A, fig. 2) ; @rtécudations of the leaf 4 to 6, the ultimate one very short, and with 
the bracts forming a 3-5 pointed crown or tuft. (The tips of the leaves vary greatly even 
in the same plant; see B, 4,5 and 6.) Sracts developed on all the nodes, much longer 
on the anterior (ventral) than on the posterior (dorsal) aspect, rarely fully developed 
posteriorly (see C, 1.) often entirely undeveloped on the dorsum of the upper nodes 
(see B, fig. 2). UsuaLLy MUCH LONGER THAN THE SPORANGIUM. This chief 
distinguishing feature of the American variety is exceedingly variable; not only does 
the comparative length of the sporangium and its bracts vary in different localities, 
but even in the same plant; small specimens approach closely the European v ariety 
(Braunii) ; a Canadian form has bracts more than twice the length of the mature 
sporangium: Prof. Braun in Flora, 1835, remarks that “the American variety is very 
variable ; one form with Jong /ateral bracts is Ch, foliolosa of Schw., another with 
elongated leaves but with short lateral bracts is Ch. opaca Schw.” Antheridia and 
sporangia, usually single, sometimes double or even triple, developed on the first and 
second nodes of the leaf. Aztheridia large bright orange ; sporangia broad-oval, 
crown with connévent tips (not spreading as in the typical form). (When young (B. fig. 2.), 
the cells stand apart, as in nearly every species, and the body is long and narrow, as 
usual).  Vucleus nearly round, black, 0.52-0.60 m.m. in diameter. Furrows on one 
side of the sporang. 11-12, on nucleus 9-10, not prominent when mature. Enveloping 
tubes of sporangium reddish-orange when mature, green when young. ‘Ihis variety is 
quite common throughout America, growing in shallow ponds or brooks, loving a sandy 
bed: it may be distinguished from the typical form by its smaller size, the closely 
connivent cells of the crown of the sporangium, and the long bracts; in Ch. coronata 
the cells of the crown are erect or somewhat spreading, and the bracts rarely exceed 
the sporangium in length. A Canadian form exhibits divergert or erect cells of crown ; 
bracts very long, often more than twice the length of the sporangium, avd a definite 
incrustation. We may expect to find every variety of size, length of bract, size of 
nucleus (which ‘latter mark Prof. Braun relied much upon,) and variety of coronula 
in our American forms of this species (as in Ch. gymnopus fetida, etc.). ; 
wo Explanation of Plate II. 
A. Plant natural size; fig. Il more developed stem, after fruiting. 
B. Leaf magnified 20 diam.. showing under surface of an older whorl, stipules alternate 
with leaves, with rudimentary cells of second row and of cortex. Fig. 1, mature 
antherid. and sporang.; fig. 2, a second node with quite young sporang., no bracts 
on dorsum ; figs. 4--6 apices of leaves. 
C. Leaf with external view of whorl; fig. 1, bracts developed on dorsum as on front 
of leaf, forma foliolosa. 
A very interesting form from Prof. Macoun, Canada, is incrusted; other peculiarit-es may, however, entitle it to rank as a distinct 
variet 2 J y 
ye 
