THE FLORA OF NEBRA8X \. 



from what is to be found in those gr is, and their relation to them U evident The 



orxgrn ol the Bryophytes is also, apparently, to be found in aboul the same : 

 Ihe class contains but one order. 



Order SO.-CHARACEAE.-The characters of the class; widely distribul 



fresh and brackish water. 



SYNOPSIS. 



Stems, branches, and leaves never -Heated and withoul utipules; crown of 



carpogone of ten colls Y,7. //, ,„ 



With or without cortication; stipules at the base of the leaf-whorls more 01 



developed; crown of five cells ( Viareai 



Family. NITELLEAE. 



Crown of the carpogone made up of two superimposed rings ol Qve cells each; litems. 

 branches, and leaves never corticated and without stipules; leaves 5 B in a ul,.,il. some 

 times with smaller accessory leaflets, with 1 3 leaflet-bearing nodes; monoecious or ■lib- 

 elous; carpogones single or clustered, arising from the nodes of the leaves in the forkings 

 of the leaflets; basal cell of the carpogone usually short, covering oi ap ire with 

 careous layer. 



1. tfITELL,A Ag. Syst. Alg. 123. 1824. 



Monoecious or dioecious, antherids terminal on short, basal cells, only appar 



ently in the forks of the leaves; carpogones single or clustered, lateral on 



the nodes of the leaves, in monoecious species just bene itb the antherids; 



crown 10 celled; leaves with several segments, bul only 1 leaflet bearing 



node; leaflets often repeatedly divided. 

 Etymology: Latin niteo, shine. 



Nitella *iih»loiii<'i-ntn A. Br. Monatsbericht BerL Akad. 1853, 

 Nitella acuminata subglomerata A. Bb. of later pubL 



Plants about 15-30 cm. long, diffusely branched; stems and branches about 

 1 mm. in diam.; leaves only slightly Less in diameter t ban the stems 



ticels of 6-8 similar leaves which are once forked, end segments otu ■■• II- ■/. 

 tapering to a sharp point; fertile verticals more or Less contracted; mono 

 ecious, fructification not enveloped in jelly; antherids globular, 

 360 ,« in diam.; carpogones often clustered belon the antherids; Bpores 

 260-270 ,« long, nearly globular, 230 wide, with 5 6 l"\\ spiral i 

 membrane of the mature spore very Loosely reticulated or pitted 



Minden, York. 



PI. XXV., Fig. 1, part of a stem with Leaves, natural size; Pig. J. fruitii 

 ticel x50; Fig. 3, spore x50; Pig. 1. membrane of a spon 



Nitella flexilis (L.) Ag. Syst. Alg. 124. 1824 

 Chara fleocilis L. Spec. PI. lloT. 17.~>>. 



Plants rather long and not greatly branched; leaves Long, 6 In i 



each divided into 1-4 terminal Leaflets with rounded or Bhort pointed 

 tips; monoecious, fructification not enveloped Ln jelly; antherids <• 

 diam. (Allen), carpospore aboul 125x375 (Allen), often several 

 node, crown evanescent. 



