Jennings — Tivo New Species of Phycopeltis, New Zealand. 755 



In 1877, Cunningham (10) gave the name oi My coidea parasitica 

 to an alga growing on leaves of Camellia and other plants in India. 

 In early stages this forms a simple cell-layer on the leaf-surface. 

 Like Phycopeltis it is entirely epiphytic. Later on, however, it is 

 said to push its way under the cuticle and to send down rhizoids into 

 the parenchyma, becoming half endophytic, and effecting destruction 

 of the leaf-tissues. 



Numerous vertical multicellular filaments rise from the disc and 

 bear at the apex groups of sporangia with curved pedicels closely 

 similar to those of Trentepohlia pleiocarpa. 



Marshall "Ward in 1884 (11) described an alga common on leaves 

 of Michelia and other plants in Ceylon, which resembled Mycoidea in 

 general characters and in form of fructification. He states that it is 

 epiphytic in growth (occasionally sub-cuticular, but never sub-epider- 

 mal), and does not seem to have observed endophytic rhizoids. He 

 figures, it is true, certain sinuous lines regarded as rhizoids developed 

 on the under side of the alga and spreading horizontally so as to hold 

 down the disc on the leaf-surface. These have not been observed by 

 any other writer, and were perhaps an appearance due to the outlines 

 of the underlying epidermal cells. On the other hand, the observations 

 of M. M. Hariot and Karsten confirm the presence of the endophytic 

 rhizoids in examples of "Mycoidea" (= Cephaleuros v. infra, page 756) 

 from various localities. 



In his Flora of Bohemian algae, Hansgirg (12) includes an epiphyl- 

 lous alga, found on leaves in hot houses, under the name of Mycoidea. 

 It was not, however, in fruit, and being purely epiphytic, should have 

 been classed with Phycopeltis, as he subsequently acknowledged 



(13). 



Mobius, however, describing (14) a closely allied or identical form, 

 revived the name of Phyllactidium, and in the species P. tropicum in- 

 cluded several varieties, with different forms and sizes of cells. They 

 all have a flabellate or radiately-lobed mode of growth ; and some bear 

 numerous multicellular sterile hairs of a nature entirely different 

 from the sporangiferous filaments of Mycoidea. Sporangia in the 

 disc were observed, but none on pedicels. 



In his Sylloge Algarum, de Toni (15) includes most of Mobius' 

 type in Phycopeltis as P. tropica. Some of the figures in Mobius' 

 paper, however, he regarded as belonging to a distinct genus and 

 species which he named Hansgirgia flalelligera. This appears in the 

 " Sylloge " in a distinct family widely separated from Phycopeltis. 

 No subsequent writers have been able to follow this uufortunate 



