BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 557 



of Gloiopdtis furcata (Post, et liupr.), J. Ag., of varying 

 form ; with which species, following Suringar's ^ example, G. 

 coliformis and also the formerly distinct G. intricata are to be 

 considered as identical. There were also some specimens of 

 G. capillaris, Sur. The first species showed both sporangia 

 and " cystocarps." I was, however, only able to find a few 

 specimens of G. capil/aris with cystocarps. An examina- 

 tion of these species - showed that the anatomical structure 

 of the thallus of Endotrichia does not differ essentially 

 from that of Gloiopeltis. In both cases tlie thallus grows by 

 congenital fusion of the branches of a septate central axis, 

 which elongates by continued oblique division of a very 

 small apical cell placed at the summit of the somewhat 

 pointed shoots, and projecting to a greater or less extent above 

 the neighbouring cells. ^ The segments of this apical cell, 

 which are cut off in a spirally alternating manner, give rise 

 at their upper ends to two "* branch cells near one another 

 and directed obliquely outwards. They then form by their 

 union the central axis, which gradually increases in 

 strength. Each of the two branch cells, however, becomes 

 elongated obliquely outwards, and gives rise to a cell 

 filament which branches copiously in a sub-dichotomous 

 manner. Moreover, all these branched filaments remain 

 congenitally united to form a tissue of many small cells. 

 In consequence of the unequal tension of its parts, this 

 tissue becomes more or less hollowed out internally in a 

 tubular manner, so that an intercellular space of varying 

 width is formed round the central axis. 



The fully developed branch exhibits a hollow cylindrical 

 thallus, towards the exterior very small-celled and com- 



1 Suringar (illus. pp. 14-15) without hesitation unites this G. furcata 

 (Post, et Kupr.), J. Ag., which lie ahnost always but erroneously calls 

 G. hifurcata with G. coll/i)rmis, Harv., nevertheless retaining the more 

 recent designation G. coU/onnis, Harv., as the specific name. This does 

 not appear to be permissible, and I have therefore in the present paper 

 always replaced Harvey's name, G. coli/onnis, by the name G. furcata 

 (Post, et Kupr.), J. Ag., although I agree throughout with Suringar 

 as regards the limitation of the species. 



- Comp. the corresponding statements of Suringar, Alg. Japon., pp. 

 31-35, and illustr. pp. 10-11, 38-40. 



^ Comp Suringar, illustr. plate 21, figs. 8-11. 



■'Sometimes only one of these branch cells is cut off, I have not 

 decided whether this occurs in an absolutely irregular sequence or 

 regularly in definite positions. 



