

07 



Anginal MvtitU*. 



A EEVIEW OF THE BRITISH CHARACEM. 



By Henry and James Groves. 



(Tabs. 207-210.) 



The Characecc, from their isolated and uncertain position in the 



plant-world, have been much neglected, more especially in this 



country. None of our cryptogamists have given them special 



study, and Prof. Babington's paper and the subsequent editions of 



his ' Manual' contain the only satisfactory account of the British 



forms. It has been suggested to us that a short paper on the 



subject might be useful, especially as there appears to be much 



misunderstanding among collectors with regard to some of the 

 species. 



The late Alexander Braun's many papers on the Charaeem 

 furnish most of the trustworthy information on the subject. His 

 knowledge of the plants was unequalled, but it is to be regretted 

 that much of the value of his work is lost by his disregard for the 

 first principles of botanical nomenclature. Next in importance is 

 Walhnann's work, the only at all complete account of the 

 order which has appeared. The papers by Nordstedt and 

 \\ ahlstedt on the group are very valuable. Kiitzing's ' Tabulae 

 " hycologise ' may be mentioned as the only work in which there 

 are plates of any number of the species. Among the earlier 

 authors who have added much to the knowledge of the group are 

 Vaillant, Wallroth, Bruzelius, and Agardh. Two most useful sets 

 of fasciculi have been issued; Braun, Kabenhorst, and Stizen- 

 berger's 'Die Cliaraceen Europas,' and Nordstedt and Wahlstedt's 

 CharaceaB Scandinaviae ' ; and the Charas have been included in 

 the fasciculi of Areschoug, Babenhorst, Eeichenbach, Fries, Billot, 

 JJesmazieres, Mougeot and Nestler, &c. 



1 ■ i7 6 P r * llc *P a l characters given in the earlier British works in 

 which the family is treated, being the colour (resulting usually 

 irom greater or less incrustation) and the size, it is often impossible 

 satisfactorily to identify their descriptions with any particular 

 species. In the second edition of Gerard's < Herball,' edited by 

 j oiinson (1633), is the first mention we can trace of any Charas 

 wl ■ l f . books. Two species are given : Hippuris coralloides, 

 ncii is described as new, and Equiaetvmfcetidum sub aqua repent, 

 < Tl 7 k°th of these are probably C. vuh/aris. In Parkinson's 

 tmi n 1 Botanicum ' (1040) a figure of C. vulgaris is given 

 An r , a £ d?s sec °nd name. Bay, in ' Catalogus Plantarum 

 tli £^1 (^®)> mentions the same two species as in Gerard, but 

 ue nr S t under Gesner's name Equisettm *, 



a)mi *reiiom. P1nlr*W t« \x\a < PWn, 



11 



N -s- von. 9. [April 



o 



