MARINE FLORA OF THE PACIFIC COAST 

 a number of stems arising from a massive root-like 

 holdfast, branching at the base, but simple through 

 the greater portion of their length and bearing small 

 leaves with bases enlarged into spherical or pear- 

 shaped bladders. Along the coast of southern Cali- 

 fornia, in particular, the long bladder kelp forms 

 submarine groves for miles, in water down to twelve 

 or more fathoms in depth. Along with Macrocystis 

 are found two big bladder kelps, the one to the 

 south of Point Concepcion being called the elk kelp, 

 or Pelagophycus porra, the one to the north, and 

 extending up to the Shumagin Islands, being called 

 the bull kelp, or Nereocystis luetkeana. Each pos- 

 sesses a branching conical holdfast about the size 

 of a man's fist, from which arises a stout single 

 stem, solid to above the middle where it broadens 

 and becomes hollow for some distance. At the top, 

 the hollow portion, or apophysis constricts and 

 then expands into a large hollow bulb, beyond 

 which are the leaves. The elk kelp has long b*road 

 leaves arranged on one side of each of two long 

 arms, while the bull kelp has a considerable bunch 

 of long narrow leaves springing almost immediately 

 from the top of the bulb. 



Besides these three long and conspicuous kelps 

 of deeper water are many others, smaller, but no 

 less interesting and curious. In southern California 

 are Laminaria farlowii, Egregia laevigata, or "sea 

 boa," and Eisenia arborea; also Pterygophora call- 

 fornica which extends up to Vancouver Island. In 

 central California are Laminaria farlowii, L. sin- 

 clairii, L. ephemera, Costaria turneri, Dictyoneuron 

 calif or nicum, Postelsia palmaeformis, Lessoniopsis 

 littoralis, Pterygophora calif ornica and Alaria mar- 

 ginata, while in the Puget Sound region and north- 

 ward, are found most of these, as well as Laminaria 

 saccharina, L. bullata, L. platymeris, L. complanatq, 

 Cymathaere triplicata, Agarum fimbriatum, A. cri- 

 brosum, Pleiirophycus gardneri, Hedophyllum ses- 

 sile, H. subsessile, Thalassiophyllum clathrus, the 

 large Alaria fistulosa and several other species of 

 Alaria. For details the papers in Fertilizer He- 

 sources of the United States (62d Congr. Sen. Doc. 

 no. 190) should be consulted, as well as for the 

 reasons for looking to the kelps for a supply of 

 potash for fertilizing purposes. 



The rockweeds and gulfweeds of the West Coast 

 are also of great interest. Along the whole coast 

 are to be found species of Fucus, Hesperophycus, 

 Peluetia and Pelvetiopsis. On the coast of Cali- 

 fornia is to be found Cystoseira osmundacea and 

 in the south, also, C. setchellii and Halidrys diotca, 



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