DINOBRYINA. 



[ 211 ] 



DIPHYSCIACE^E. 



Dinemasporium 



gramineum. 



Spores magn. 



600 diams. 



Lev., the only British species, Fig. 181. 



= Excipula graminis, Berk. 



Br. Fungi, No. 328, and Exc. 



graminum, Corda. It has a 



scattered conceptacle, closed at 



first, and subsequently widely 



opened, forming a disk covered 



with white spores of a peculiar 



form, abruptly produced into 



filaments at each end (fig. 



181). 



BIBL. Berk, and Broome, 

 Ann. Nat. Hist. 2 ser. v. p. 

 456; Le'veille, Ann. des. Sc. 

 nat. 3 ser. v. p. 274 ; Corda, 

 Icon. Fung. iii. pi. 5. fig. 79. 



DINOBRYINA, Ehr. A family of Infu- 

 soria. 



Char. Bodies variable in form, contained 

 in urceolate carapaces, which are either sin- 

 gle, or aggregated into a branched polypidom, 

 from the new carapaces remaining adherent 

 by their bases to the summits or the internal 

 bases of the preceding ; the result of multi- 

 plication by gemmation. (Astasisea with a 

 carapace.) 



Two genera, Dinobryon and Epipyxis. 

 In Dinobryon an anterior red eye-spot is 

 present, but not in Epipyxis. In the former 

 a flagelliform filament is present; this is 

 sometimes met with in the latter, but not 

 constantly. 



BIBL. Ehr. Infus. p. 122; Duj. In/us. 

 p. 320. 



DINOBRYON, Ehr. A genus of Infu- 

 soria, of the family Dinobryina. 



Char. Carapaces urceolate, united into 

 the form of a branched polypidom. 



D. sertularia, E. (PL 23. fig. 41). Cara- 

 paces sessile or subsessile, slightly constricted 

 near the somewhat expanded and excised 

 end; aquatic; length of polypidom 1-144 

 to 1-120", of individuals 1-570". 



Bodies yellow or green, with a red eye- 

 spot in front. 



D. 5ocz/e,E. "I probably different stages or 

 D. gradient, f mere varieties of the former. 

 D.petiolatum, D. (PL 23. fig. 42). Cara- 

 paces with long stalks, bodies green ; aqua- 

 tic; length of polypidom 1-100", of a cara- 

 pace 1-1420". 



BIBL. Ehr. Infus. p. 124, and Ber. d. 

 Berl Akad. 1840. p. 199 ; Duj. Infus. p. 321. 

 DINOCHARIS, Ehr. A genus of Rota- 

 toria, of the family Euchlanidota. 



Char. A single cervical eye ; foot forked ; 

 carapace closed beneath, and without teeth 

 at the ends. 



Jaws with one (or two?) teeth each. 

 Aquatic. Two horns at the base of the 

 foot. 



D. tetractis (PL 34. fig. 23 ; fig. 24, teeth). 

 Carapace acutely triangular, two horns at 

 the base of the foot, and two toes ; length 

 1-120". 



Two other species. 

 BIBL. Ehr. Infus. p. 471. 

 DINOPHYSIS, Ehr. A genus of Infu- 

 soria, of the family Peridinaea. 



Char. Free, single ; carapace membranous, 

 urceolate, with a transverse ciliated furrow, 

 and a median plicate crest ; no eye-spot. 



Form, that of Vaginicola ; nature that of 

 Peridinium. The transverse furrow is close 

 to the truncated anterior end, and from this 

 furrow there extends down the body a folded 

 crest or fringe, like that of Stentor, except 

 that it is a part of the carapace. A crown of 

 cilia exists around the neck, and a longer 

 flagelliform filament. Carapace punctate. 



D. acuta. Posterior end of carapace sub- 

 acute; marine; diameter 1-570". 



D. Michaelis. Posterior end rounded; 

 marine ; diameter 1-570". 



Found in sea- water with luminous animals; 

 probably themselves luminous. 



BIBL. Ehr. Abh. d. Berl. Akad. 1839. 

 pp. 125. 151. 



DION, Lindl. A genus of Cycadacese 

 (Gymnospermous Flowering Plants). The 

 stem of Dion edule, a Mexican plant, con- 

 tains abundance of starch, which is extracted 

 and used as an arrow-root. See CYCADACESE 

 and STARCH. 



DIOPHRYS, Duj. A genus of Infusoria, 

 of the family Plaesconiaea. 



Char. Body of irregular discoidal form, 

 thick, concave above and convex beneath, 

 with five large vibratile cilia at the anterior, 

 and four or five very long geniculate setae 

 near the posterior end. Marine. 



D. marina (PL 23. fig. 43 ; a, under view ; 

 b, side view). Body oval, with a longitudinal 

 excavation; length 1-580". 

 BIBL. Duj. Infus. p. 445. 

 DIPHYSCIACE^E. A family of opercu- 

 lated Acrocarpous Mosses, having a capsule 

 of very curious structure. The leaves are of 

 two kinds, the cauline tongue-shaped, com- 

 posed of perfectly Pottioid, densely hexago- 

 nal parenchymatous cells filled with chloro- 

 phyll; the perichaetial leaves much protruded, 

 exceeding the cauline, composed of cells ul- 

 timately destitute of chlorophyll, therefore 

 of looser texture. Capsule very large, 

 oblique, gibbose, somewhat like that of Bux~ 



p2 



