40 II. et J. Grovks: 



Distributio: Africa sept, Asia austr., America sopt. et austr. 

 The West Inclian plant is a fairl}'^ robust form. 



15. Chara scjuiicta A.Braun in Boston Jon/n. Nat. Rist. vol. V 

 (1845) p. 264. — C. scjiüicta et C. compada Robinson in Bull. N. Y. 

 Bot. Gard. IV (1906) p. 296 et 297. 



Statura variabilis. Caulis triplostiche corticatus, cellulis seriei 

 primariae et secundariae aequaliter prominentibus. Aculei solitarii breves, 

 tenues, acuminati. Stipulodia seriei utriusque evoUita, valde acu- 

 minata. Ramuli verticillorum 10 — 12, articulis 10 — 15, infimo ab- 

 breviato ecorticato, caeteris triplostiche corticatis, ultimis 1 — 2 ecorti- 

 catis exceptis. Bracteae 6—8. Oogouia et antheridia ad nodos diversos 

 posita. Antheridium diametro er. -42 mm. Oogonium ovoideum. 

 Coronula variabilis, connivens vel patula. Oospora atra -5 — 9 mm. 

 longa, -36 — 6 mm. crassa, 11 — 15 liras exhibens. Monoica. 



Hab. in Portorico prope Utuado in rivulo Limon, 21. Mart. 1887: 

 Sintenis n. 6499, (n. 6595, planta sterilis ejusdem districtus, a cl. Nord- 

 stedt in Hedwigia 1888 p. 195 ad Ch. gymnopus var. Berteroi ducta, 

 probabiliter ad hanc speciem pertinet); Guadeloupe: l'Herminier in 

 hb. Braun, Etang St. Fran^ois Sept. 1897: Pere Duss n. 3936 ex p.; 

 Barbados: R. Y. Sherring (herb. Kew.). 



Distributio: America sept.: Civit. unitae, Mexico; America 

 austr.: Brasilia, Columbia. 



Yer}^ closely allied to C. zeylanwa .of which perhaps it should be 

 regarded as a subspeeies. 



16. Cliara zeylaiiica Willdenow in Mem. Acad. Berol. pro anno 

 1803 (1805) p. 86 t. II f. 1. — C. foUolosa Willd. l. c. jx 86 t. I f. 2. 



— C. polyphulla Brmin in Regensb. Bot. Zeit. 1835 I p. 70 (sens. lat). 



— C. gymnojms Braun in Monatsb. Berl. Akad. 1867 ]). 870 (sens. 

 lat); Nordstcdt in Hedicigia 1888 p. 192 et 194. 



Statura variabilis. Caulis triplostiche corticatus, cellulis seriei 

 primariae et secundariae aeque prominentibus, aculeis solitariis. Stipu- 

 lodia superiora et inferiora valde evoluta. Ramuli verticillorum 8 — 14 

 (pq. 11 — 13), articuli 7 — 14, quorum infiraus et ultimi 1 — 4 ecorti- 

 cati, caeteri pq. triplostiche corticati, raro omues ecorticati. Bracteae 

 8 — 11 verticillatae, vel 4 — 6 anteriores evolutae, posteriores rudimen- 

 tariae. Antheridia et oogonia ad nodos ramulorum eosdem una sita. 

 Antheridium diametro -31 — 55 mm. Coronula variabilis. Oospora 

 ovoidea vel fere cylindrica -48 — 75 mm. longa, -28 — 54 mm. crassa, 

 10 — 15 strias exhibens. Monoica. 



This characteristic tropical species is Ibe commouest and niost widely 

 distributed in the West Indies. It is extremely variable and has in this 

 respect been aptly compared by the late Alexander Bkaun to C. fragilis. 



