A COTYLEDONS. HEPATIC/E. 109 



tigation of them in the fossil state, comes to a different con- 

 clusion from that of Wallroth, and says they are allied to the 

 Onagrariie and Salicarice, and proposes that the genus Char a 

 should constitute a new family of Dicotyledons, under the 

 name of FAeodece. 



1. CHARA. 



1 . Ch. flexilis, stems pellucid glabrous and unarmed flaccid 

 much branched, branches opposite patent, whorls of branch- 

 lets 6 8 di-trichotomous at the extremity or simple obtuse, 

 nucules few scarcely bracteated. Light f. p. 536. E.B. t. 10/0, 

 and t. 2140 (Cfi. gracilis? Walk. An. Bot. p. 176). 



HAB. Lakes, rivers, and ditches, abundant, Light/., Hopk., Don. 



2. Ch. transliicens, " smooth transparent without prickles, 

 leaves cylindrical obtuse with a small point all simple with 

 transverse internal partitions." Sm. E. B. I. 1855. 



HAB. Ditches about Edinb. ; Kinross-shire, Highlands, &c., Mr. Ar- 

 nott. Kestenart Marsh, near Forfar, D. Don. 



Wallroth is disposed to consider the Ch. translucens of Vaillant and 

 1']. Bot. a var. of Ch. vulgaris ; but he says the steins and branches 

 are " roughish ;" from which it would appear he is not acquainted 

 with our plant, for it is remarkably smooth, and by far the largest 

 of the genus. It is, however, very difficult to draw correctly the 

 line of distinction between the different species of Chara. 



3. Ch. vulgarly stems branched rounded roughish, whorls of 

 branchlets about 8 linear-subulate rather acute, bracteas about 

 4. , Lightf. P. 535. E. B. t. 336. 



HAB. Ditches and slow streams. 



4. Ch. hispida, steins branched excessively brittle below unarm- 

 ed spirally striated above much aculeated, spines or teeth of- 

 ten pointing downwards, whorls of about 8 simple branchlets 

 acute with numerous setaceous bracteas placed in fours. 

 Lightf. p. 535. E. B. t. 463. 



HAB. Ditches and lakes. Guillon Loch, Dr. Parsons. Restenat 

 Marsh, D. Don. Lismore, Capt. Cannichael. 



Covered apparently with an earthy or calcareous whitish crust, ren- 

 dering the whole plant excessively fragile. Even the exposure to 

 the air and light, when this plant is thrown out of the ditches, soon 

 reduces it to a mere dust. M. Bosc observes that fish, and espe- 

 cially carp, thrive best when the species of Chara abound : pro- 

 bably because they harbour a number of insects, which are the food 

 of these fish. 



ORDER V. HEPATICLE. Juss. Decand. 



(Part of Alga>, Linn. Calyplratce D coper cula tee, Mohr.) 



Fructification generally of two kinds. Capsules in an early stage 



