106 SEA MOSSES. 



north. But it will be found more plentiful south 

 than north of Cape Cod. I have taken it at 

 Southold, L. 1., and at Wood's Holl. It is not so 

 robust a plant as the last. From the first, it branches 

 out widely in all directions, in a straddling, strug- 

 gling, bushy way. The branches, which branch again 

 and again, are -beset throughout with short (one- 

 sixteenth to one-tenth of an inch), spines^ which 

 are mostly forked widely at the ends. These are 

 the characteristic points. The plants of this, like 

 those of the last species, are somewhat slippery and 

 slimy, and must not be put under too much pres- 

 sure at first. It often grows a foot or more, though 

 my specimens are not more than half that height. 

 My correspondents report it as found all summer at 

 all points. 



Chordaria abietina, Rupr. 



This is the only species of this genus found on the 

 coast of Cahfornia. It is quite common at Santa 

 Cruz and northward, growing on the boulders^ along 

 rocky beaches. 



A mounted specimen, four inches high, lies before 

 me as I write. It has a principal leading stem extend- 

 ing the whole length of the plant, which is two oi 

 three times as thick as a bristle, and i-Quch attenuaied 



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