MITANMAL 



TORREYA 



Vol.38 May-June, 1938 No. 3 



A new genus and species of fossil Algae 



TiTis Ulke 



GLOBULINEA, n. gen. n. sp. Ulke 



Original Description. — The generic name GLOBULINEA 

 has been here adopted to designate members of a group of calci- 

 fied fossil algae, each of which, in mature stage at least, possesses 

 a long and usually branchless, flexible, rope-like, stem or axis, 

 fairly uniform in diameter for any given plant, built up of, or 

 inclosing, a series of globular or rounded cylindrical cells or 

 joints, like a chain of close-set beads, and occasionally exhibit- 

 ing a thin transverse septum between adjacent cells or joints. 

 (See Fig. 1.) Each stem appears to have been sheathed, at least 

 partly, by a skin or epidermis, as evidenced by a faint line or 

 groove along its length, though apparently absent, or worn off, 

 in parts of the stems of slenderer (as if younger) plants, which 

 then resemble a rope of contacting beads (Fig. 2). A tiny 

 groove may often be observed around each bead-like cell, sug- 

 gesting some sort of wall around it. 



The larger sized stems are almost always stout and un- 

 branched, while smaller stems, and young plants of this genus 

 often show a few short branches or buds, as illustrated in Figs. 

 2, 3 and 4. The thallus in young plants does not appear to be 

 divided by any transverse septa (Fig. 4). Stems and branches 

 are usually curved, looping or undulating in form and occasion- 

 ally curled up at their end (Fig. 3) or bent back at an acute 

 angle. Distinct rhizoids have not yet been observed. The cal- 

 careous epidermis or walls do not show any evident structural 

 pores. 



In a single instance (Fig. 5), what may be a fruiting organ, 

 terminating a branch, was observed. 



Small lobate markings, associated with the "rope" and 

 "bead-like" structures, suggest algal fronds, but have not been 

 found definitely attached. Rarely the "beads" decrease in size 

 in one direction, as in a budding algal branch. 



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