MARINE FLORA OF THE PACIFIC COAST 

 while in Puget Sound and on the coast of south- 

 eastern Alaska Cystophyllum geminatum is abun- 

 dant. Of the gulfweeds (Sargassaceae) two species 

 are found, namely, Sargassum agardhianum (com- 

 mon in southern California) and S. piluliferum 

 (San Diego, rare; Catalina Island, abundant). 



Finally among the brown algae, there are to 

 be found to the south of Point Concepcion several 

 members of the warm-water group of the Dictvo- 

 taceae, namely, Dictyota binghamiae, Dilophus 

 flabellatus, Dictyopteris zonarioides and Taonia 

 lenneb acker ae. A species of Padina is occasionally 

 found at San Diego, but is more abundant on the 

 coast of Mexico to the south. 



The Rhodophyceae, or red algae, of the west 

 coast of North America are numerous in both spe- 

 cies and individuals. In character they are, on 

 the whole, much coarser and more conspicuous 

 than those of the eastern coast or those of Europe. 

 Many persons have collected and mounted speci- 

 mens for sale; but unfortunately, specimens col- 

 lected at Monterey, on the coast of central Cali- 

 fornia, a north temperate locality, have been sold 

 as having been collected in southern California, 

 a subtropical region, and even as having grown in 

 Florida, a tropical region. This sort of mixture 

 causes much confusion in the study of distribution. 



There are several hundred species of red algae 

 on our coast so that it is impossible to mention 

 many. The higher rocks in the tidal zones are 

 usually decorated and even festooned with purple 

 laver (Porphyra perforata). Large rocks in the 

 same general situation, in central California, are 

 covered with extended red, purple or blackish, 

 tightly adhering crusts of Petrocelis middendorfii. 

 Caves in the upper tidal zone have their walls cov- 

 ered with velvety red patches of Rhodochorton 

 rothii and of several other dwarf species of reds. 

 In surge formations are many coarse membranous 

 reds as well as in tide-pool formations. Some of 

 these are beautifully iridescent under water, espe- 

 cially the species and varieties of Iridaea. Coarse 

 Gigartinas, delicate membranous but branched 

 Nitophyllums, the "red moss," or Plocamium coc- 

 cineum, favorite of collectors, the large coarsely 

 veined Erythrophyllum delesserioides. the smaller, 

 more delicately veined Delesseria quercifolia, and 

 many other membranous species might be men- 

 tioned and described. Delicate species of Polysi- 

 phonia, Callithamnion, and Ceramiiim are in abun- 

 dance, but are less conspicuous than on other 

 coasts because of the preponderance of coarser 



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