448 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



Genus Stilophora J. Agardh. 

 Stilophora, J. Agardh, 1836, p. 16. 



Frond filiform, branched, firm, cartilaginous, finally hollow in the lower portions; 

 growth in length apical; central axis composed of a few (usually four to five) series of 

 cells; apex surrounded by tufts of filaments, arising laterally; peripheral assimilating 

 filaments segmented, differing among themselves in form, either covering the surface 

 of the frond or occurring in groups here and there; "plurilocular sporangia" uniformly 

 distributed or grouped in more or less definite sorir 



Four to five species in North Atlantic and Mediterranean. 

 Stilophora rhizodes (Ehrhart MS.) J. Agardh. PI. LXXXVII, fig. 2. 



Conferva rhizodes, Ehrhart MS., in Turner, 1819, vol. 4, p. 91. 

 Fttcus rhizodes. Turner, 1819, vol. 4, p. 91. 

 Stilophora rhizodes, J. Agardh, 1841, p. 6. 

 Stilophora rhizodes, Harvey, 1852, p. 112, pi. 9 B. 

 Stilophora rhizodes, Farlow, 1882, p. 90, pi. 5, f- 4. pi- 6, f . a 

 Stilophora rhizodes, De Toni, 1805. P- 39- 

 P. B.-A. No. 83. 



Frond much branched, usually regularly dichotomous with more or less abundant minute lateral 

 branches, 8 to 30 cm. long, about i mm. diameter below, yellowish when living, brownish when dry; 

 branches elongated, plainly tapering toward the apices; sori separate, scattered among the more or 

 less extensive sterile portions of the cortex , ' 'unilocular ' ' and ' ' plurilocular ' ' sporangia formed on different 

 individuals. 



Temperate North Atlantic; Mediterranean. 



Beaufort, N. C.: Very abundant in Mullet Pond, on Shackleford Banks, May, 1907, April, 1908, 

 loose or attached, lying in loose masses on the bottom; few specimens in tide pool in northwest corner 

 of Town Marsh, May, 1907; one specimen in harbor north of laboratory, April, 1908. 



Specimens from different localities vary greatly in more or less conspicuous tufts of peripheral 

 filaments and in abundance of minute branches on various portions of the thallus. The Beaufort 

 specimens have tufts of peripheral filaments large and conspicuous and few minute branches. In 

 habit it is between the typical form and forma contorta Holden, occurring in masses with branches 

 slightly contorted and intertwined. At Beaufort it occurred, with the exception of one specimen, in 

 tide pools that were considerably warmer than the water in the harbor, but were very muddy. This 

 is the most southern station reported for the species on our shores, but it may be found farther south in 

 the winter or spring. 



Family 6. SPOROCHNACE^E (Reichenbach) Hauck. 



Thallus usually filiform, sometimes narrow-band shaped, parenchymatous except at 

 apices, where it is composed of tufts of free filaments^ branching lateral, profuse, the 

 branches in some cases differentiated into long and short ones; longitudinal growth 

 trichothallic by a group of subterminal cells; only "unilocular sporangia" known, these 

 are obovate, ellipsoid, or ellipsoid-cylindrical, produced as lateral outgrowths of special 

 short, simple, or branched filaments arising from superficial cells ; sporangif erous filaments 

 occurring in sori scattered over the frond or confined to special regions. 



About 20 species in warm and temperate seas, especially in the Australian region. 



Genus Sporochnus Agardh. 

 Sporochnus, Agardh, 1820, p. 147. 



Frond filiform, solid, regularly branched on all sides, usually having sharply distinct 

 long and short branches, apices crowned with a tuft of free filaments; sporangia pro- 

 duced as lateral outgrowths uniformly distributed on short, more or less branched 

 filaments with club-shaped branches and round pear-shaped end cells; sporangiferous 



