118 GIGARTINACEAE 
The soft gelatinous character of the thallus of this South 
American plant and, more particularly, the remarkably soft 
gelatinous nature of the walls of the large cells of the medulla, 
which, with the equally remarkable diaphanous character of their 
protoplasts, renders these large cells almost invisible when ex- 
amined іп the usual way, seem to be about the only characters | 
on which Microcoelia could be segregated as а genus.* Like the | 
plant described by J. Agardh, Dr. Coker’s specimens adhere very | 
firmly to paper when dried under pressure. 
* Of interest and importance in considering the ead of the M т group 
to generic recognition is the Chilean plant described by Montagne (Ann. Sci. Nat. А 
ot. . 18: 318. 1852) as Callymenia sanguinea—a species that under the Schmit- и 
zian conception of the sez « че келш C уйе should be зені аз Салон је 
sanguinea (comb. поу.). 
able to see through p courtesy of M. Hariot el the Мади d'Histoire ‘Naturelle of 
Paris. They are plants that in general habit might easily pass for a Callymenia, 
but in structure are very close to J. Agardh's Microcoelia chilensis. The thallus is 
rather эгри (350-500 и іп tetrasporic plant; 450-1000 и in cystocarpic plant) 
than that of Microcoelia chilensis, is more Jese get tes and corruga 
when 2% and apparently does not adhe ere to paper. In section the medulla shows 
large, very thick-walled cells in 1—3 irregular series, surroun oUF by the much smaller 
cells of the intercalating filaments. Tis large cells, including their gelatinous walls, 
аге, in a section, mostly 80-4204 X 50-2504; the protoplast, in these large cells, is 
commonly much flattened when a section of the dried specimen is soaked out in 
water, and the measurements as given, of the width at least, are derived chiefly. 
from the swollen walls. The protoplasts of the cells of the intercalary filaments are 
densely granular and vaty in form from ovoid to long-subcylindric, with triangular 
prismatic and various irregular forms also oc ing; they are mostly 16-404 long 
and 3-154 wide. The soft thick hyaline valle ч the large medullary cells and their. 
thin flattened protoplasts might, in themselves, easily cause these cells to be over- 
looked if it were not for the fact that their outer boundaries are distinctly marked 
by the granular protoplasts of the circumambient filaments. T he existence of ue 
hing 
stains. The cortex proper of Callophyllis sanguinea is made up of short 
di-trichotomous filaments 2-4 cells long. The sporangia (or their protoplasts) are 
30-384 Х14-22и and their four spores are irregularly paired. 
It is possible that a more extended series of бден mens than із now available 
might show that Microcoelia chilensis J. Ag. should be considered a synonym of 
Callymenia sanguinea Mont., but the thallus of мане в plant appears со 
ably more rigid and shows certain differences in external form and for the present we 
hardly feel justified in assuming that all of these specimens are to be referred to a 
single species 
