226 



THALLOPHYTA. 



[CH. 



they may at least be mentioned as possible but not certain 

 Palaeozoic forms of Char a or an allied genus. 



Fig. 46. a. Chara Bleicheri Sap. x 30. 6 and c. Devonian Chara ? sp. circa 

 . X 12. d and e. Chara Wrighti Forbes, circa x 12. 



1. Chara Bleicheri, Saporta. Fig. 46, a. In this form the 

 'fruits' are minute and subspherical, '39 — •44mm. long, and 

 •35 — "40 mm. broad, showing in side view 5 — 6 slightly oblique 

 spiral bands. Each spiral band bears a row of slightly project- 

 ing tubercles. 



This species was first described by Saporta^ from the 

 Oxfordian (Jurassic) rocks of the Department of Lot in France ; 

 it is compared by the author of the species with Chara Jaccardi 

 Heer, described by Heer from the Upper Jurassic rocks of 

 Switzerland. 



2. C. Knowltoni, Seward. Fig. 45, a and 6, and Fig. 47. 

 The Oogonia are broadly oval, about "5 mm. in length, and at the 

 broadest part of about the same breadth. The surface is 

 marked by eleven or twelve bands in the form of a flattened 

 spiral. The stems possess investing cortical cells. 



This species was founded on specimens from the Wealden 

 beds of Sussex 2, but numerous examples of Chara 'fruits' and 

 stems have long been known from the uppermost Jurassic 

 rocks of the Dorset coast and the Isle of Wight, which may 

 probably be included in this species. These fossil Charas are 



1 Saporta (73) p. 214, PI. ix. 



2 Seward (942) p, 13^ fig^ 1, 



3. 8-11. 



