4 THE JOURNAL OF BOTANY 
It differs from P. capitatus, as was ee out to us by Mr. 
Howe, by the usually pear-shaped capitulum, the interlacing fila- 
ments, and the stalk beroly peneeins into the head. It is, more- 
over, a heavier plant, o o the amount of sand entangled among 
the filaments of the posers The cointk may be sometimes a little 
branched, and the capitulum infundibuliform ; the filaments are 
sometimes globosely constricted above or below ‘the dichotomy. 
Mr. Howe’s other nov velty is in our opinion no more than a 
Decaisne. The type of this sbbeida’ came from the Bahamas, and 
is preserved in Herb. Lamouronx at C under name Nesea 
dumetosa. Since Decaisne published his dosdtinkioh of it in 1842 
(Ann. Sci. Nat. 2° Sér. tom. piss p. 109), no one has added fresh 
records of the true plant. Kiitzing’s figure of ‘© Lamourouati” 
(Tab. Phye. viii. t. 29, fig. 1) represents a plant of P. dumetosus ; ; 
on the other hand, eas specimens of ‘ Lamourouait’ ’ issued 
m 
and 779 are P. capitatus. The typical form of the species is un- 
doubtedly rare. In the several collections beers we pave examined 
we have found only ik > gat erings—viz. in Herb, Lamouroux, 
Herb. eae 3612 and Herb. F. 8. Se in whieh last there is a 
Lamouroux there are some nine , specimens of P. fiwtdab vali from 
the Bahamas; and in Herb. Chauvin there are six, unlocalized, but 
probably from the same locality, Chauvin having been the friend 
a successor of Lamouroux. And here we would take the oppor- 
unity of expressing our warm thanks to Prof. Lignier, the prese sent 
distinguished occupant of Lamouroux’s chair, for his kind courtesy 
whee: p: the valuable collections of Lamouroux and Chauvin for 
Obs" aN or vaiety is more commonly distributed than the type, 
and has been issued in some published sets as P. capitatus. Its 
diagnosis is as follows :— 
. Lamourouwii Decaisne, var. GRACILIS, var. nov. (fig. 2 sa Stivite 
30-40 m mm. longo, c. 5 mm. crasso, sepius compresso, eee 
canaliculato, leptodermo (hine molli), levi, vix in capitulum te 
trante; capitulo globoso, 3 80-40 mm. diam.; filamentis capituli 
duplo magis copiosis quam in planta soo et gracilioribus (800- 
400 » crassis), eerie ae "ealee valde indutis. 
Hab. Florida, Key West, in 3-10 dm. mee water at low tide, 
M. A. Howe! (No. 1412). Bahamas, Bemini Harbor, M. 4. Howe! 
(No. 32 oe St. Croix, Herb. Bérgesen 
is variety is an intermediate between P. Lamourouwxit and 
P, seit’ In habit it closely Soalinbies the former, as also in its 
thin-walled, compressible, usually flattened stem, which penetrates 
but a very short Ww. way into the capitulum (less than a quarter of the 
gracilis measure 
