NO. 10 DAWSON : MARINE ALGAE, GULF OF CALIFORNIA 295 



"This species of Gracilaria is decidedly distinct from all of the others 

 collected in the Gulf of California, and indeed seems to have no close 

 relative outside the Gulf. The relatively delicate acute fronds and the 

 diversity of methods of branching are distinguishing characters." Setchell 

 and Gardner. 



Gracilaria confervoides (L.) Grev. 



Greville, 1830, p. 123; Kylin, 1930, p. 55, fig. 44, 1941, p. 20; Harvey, 

 1846-51, pi. 165. Cordylecladia lemanacformis Setch. & Gard., 

 1924, p. 759 (not of Howe). 



Kylin, 1941, lists both Gracilaria confervoides and G. Sjostedtii for 

 the central coast of California. He points out in his earlier paper, 1930, 

 the distinctions between these two species, which are very similar vege- 

 tatively. He describes G. confervoides, as typified by specimens from 

 Naples, Italy, as having cystocarps with special connecting strands be- 

 tween the gonimoblasts and cystocarp wall. Specimens collected by Kylin 

 at Naples and deposited in the Herbarium of the University of California 

 were examined and found to show no connecting strands in the cystocarps. 

 This led at first to considerable confusion in the author's mind, but the 

 fact that the cystocarps examined were quite old and contained great num- 

 bers of mature carpospores perhaps explains the inability to find the 

 strands, which undoubtedly are more conspicuous in younger stages. 



The fibers have been observed in two examples collected in July at 

 Turner's Island as well as in one collected in December at Guaymas. The 

 Gulf of California plants are more delicate and slender than most forms 

 of the widely distributed G. confervoides, a feature which undoubtedly 

 led Setchell and Gardner to refer Johnston's specimens from Los Angeles 

 Bay to Cordylecladia lemanaefor7nis. Comparison of Gulf plants with 

 Howe's Peruvian material of C. lemanaeformis shows that none of our 

 specimens are identical with his. 



The delicate, slenderly branched forms of G. confervoides are pre- 

 dominant in our area. Most of the material collected thus far has been 

 found floating, cast ashore, or has been obtained by dredging. 



D. 57, in 4-6 m., Guaymas Bay, Jan.; J. 35, sublittoral, Los Angeles 

 Bay, June; D. 366, in 22 m., Tepoca Bay, Feb.; D. & R. 3425, drifting 

 along shore of bay, Empalme, Dec; D. 431, dredged off Pond Island, 

 Feb.; D. 672, cast ashore. Kino, July; D. 667, cast ashore at south chan- 

 nel entrance, Tiburon Island, July; D. & R. 2929, cast ashore. Kino, 

 Nov.; 3247, floating in brackish water of Rio Mayo, Dec; 3159, mouth 

 of tidal stream, Playa Miramar, Guaymas, Dec. 



