angles to its axis. The plant attains a height of one and a half 

 to three feet, moving gracefully with the swell of the waves, 

 and overtops greatly its congeners at this stage, predominating 

 in patches of varying extent during the greater part of the 

 year. 



All this has no doubt been frequently observed by any one 

 who frequents our coasts, but that the mode of propagation 

 of a plant occurring in such numbers should be wrapt in 

 uncertainty appears strange. But before giving my own 

 observations, which perhaps may advance the knowledge 

 thereof a trifle, let me state how my attention was turned 

 towards the subject. 



AVhen commencing to collect plants last year little was 

 known to me about native botany till supplied with the correct 

 names and other desired information by Baron P. von Mueller, 

 whose great kindness and courtesy it is with the greatest 

 pleasure I again acknowledge. Being directed by him to turn 

 my attention to the shore, specimens of the three species were 

 in due course obtained and identified, but only by the leaves. 

 Later, in December, certain f mi fs were found thrown upon the 

 beach by the waves, somewhat resembling in general arrange- 

 ment the tufts of Cyniodocea, and were mistaken for them. 



Having, however, forwarded some of these seeds to the 

 Botanical Society of Brandenburg, Berlin, in the early part of 

 October last, I received a letter of acknowledgment from Prof. 

 P. Ascherson, Sec. of the Society, stating that they were really 

 those of JPosidonia australis, and remarking that — " The real 

 " fruit of Cj/modocea remains still unknown, and it would be of 

 "' great merit if you could succeed in finding it, as that would 

 " elucidate the first formation of the young plants. The pistil 

 "'occurs in a kind of quadripartite, ray-like divided, horny cup 

 *' of a yellowish white colour, below which is an oval concavity. 

 *' The plant in this state is quite rare, as Baron v. Mueller only 

 " found it once, and the Swedish botanist Agardh, in his work, 

 '* describes it as an algal (AmpJiibolis zosterifoUa).'' This being 

 new to me, I at once sought for specimens, and succeeded in 

 finding some half a dozen on the bea^h in the early part of 

 October, and several more on subsequent occasions, but want 

 of leisure prevented me for some time from seeking for them 

 in situ. 



On November 7th, the first opportunity occurred, which 

 allowed me to follow the plant to its haunts; and I was greatly 

 pleased to find my previous surmises to a large extent con- 

 firmed, which were — (1) That Ci/modocea is an annual, or at most 

 a bi-annual ; (2) that it bears no seed proper, but is propagated 

 chiefly, if not exclusively, by means of germs. By this is 

 meant that the plant does not at all develop a fruit proper, nor 



