A REVIEW OF THE BRITISH CHARACE^. 103 



Stem usually very slender and flexible, having large compound 

 bulbils at the lower nodes, much branched. Cortical cells regular, 

 without spine-cells. Whorls of 6-9 branchlets. Stipulodes very 

 small. Branchlets slender, usually flexuous, sometimes slightly 

 incurved, of 9-18 joints, the upper 1-8 shorter, ecorticate. Bract- 

 cells in the female plant 3-5, about half as long as the nucule ; in 

 the male 2, very short. Nucules usually 2-3 on a branchlet oval, 

 11-13-striate, coronula short obtuse. Dioecious. (Tab. 207, fig. 2.) 



Characteristically a very slender and flexible plant, from 6-12 

 in. high, bright green and unincrusted, but in an extreme form 

 from near Helston (which, however, is connected, by intermediate 

 forms, with the type) it is small and rigid, with short slightly 

 connivent branchlets. It resembles a very slender state of 

 C. frayilis, but besides its dioecious character it may be distinguished 

 from that species by being less brittle and by the branchlets having 

 a greater number of joints. C. fragifera is confined to West 

 Europe and North Africa. First found in England by Mr. Kalfs 

 in the neighbourhood of Penzance. 



Pools. July and August. Cornwall, W., and Scilly Isles. 



Hi. C. connivens, Braun, Flora, 1835, i., p. 73 ; Consp. Char. 

 Europ., p. 7; Monatsb. Akad. Berl., 1867, p. 855; Wallm. Act. 

 Stockh., 1854, p. 327; Kiitz. Tab. Phyc, vii., t. 63, f. 1; 

 Chaboisseau, Bull Soc. Bot. France, 1871, p. 149; Journ. Bot., 

 1878, p. 120 ; Kralik PI. Tuinetame, 344 and 344 bis. 



Stem rather slender, brittle, very regularly corticate, destitute 

 of spine-cells. Whorls of usually 8 strongly incurred branchlets, 

 which in the male plant are often so connivent that the extremities 

 meet or even cross one another. Stipulodes almost obsolete. 

 Branchlets of 7-10 joints, the upper 1-2 ecorticate. Bract-cells in 

 the female plant 3, much shorter than the nucule, in the male 2, 

 very minute, rarely developed at the barren nodes. Nucules 

 small, oval, 12-14-striate, coronula long, conical. Dioecious. 

 (Tab. 207, fig. 3.) 



About 1 ft. high, of a light clear green, usually but little 



incrusted. 

 flexible habit 



/' 



Western 



The Abbe Chaboisseau stated that he was unable to find bulbils on 



£ conniven*. It has been found in 

 Africa. 



In fresh-water ditches at Stokes Bay, Gosport, Rev. W. S. 

 Bayton, 1828, Herb. Borrer. Pool, Slapton, Sands, S. Devon, 

 W. Curnow and W. B. Waterfall, July and August, 1878. Our 

 drawing is from the Gosport plant, which differs from the type by 

 its much shorter nucules and longer bract-cells. We have little 

 doubt that both that and the plants from Slapton belong to this 

 species, but some slight uncertainty must exist until a series of 

 specimens has been examined. 



(To be continued.) 



