\ 



24 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [january 



similar way within mother cells. There can be little doubt as to 

 the generic identity of the two forms, yet their characters are so 



similar to those of Enterobryus that I have preferred to use this 

 generic name, in view of the fact that in no instance has the com- 

 plete history of a species of this genus been satisfactorily observed. 

 Enterobryus compressus, nov. sp. — Hyaline to pale dirty 

 yellowish. Basal cell very large and thick-walled, somewhat 

 broader distally, 500-850X28-35 /z, straight or usually slightly 

 curved at the base, attached by a well defined, slightly brownish 

 yellow foot, shaped like an inverted cup, and distinguished by a 

 slight constriction from the basal cell, which bulges more strongly 

 on one side above it. Segments separated from younger specimens 

 about 2ooXi8ju, their formation followed by the production of 

 spore mother cells which are formed at the distal end of the basal 

 cell, the series above the fourth or fifth cell becoming broad and 

 flat through compression; the cells about 8 n long by 35^ broad 

 by 18 fx thick, each containing a single spore which nearly fills the 

 cavity, surrounded by a thick sheath continuous with the wall 

 of the basal cell. 



Growing wholly exposed on the anal plates of a large species of Passalus, 

 Dominica, B.W.I. , no. 2170, M.C.Z. 



The unusually thick walls of this species and the coherence of its spore 

 mother cells no doubt are influenced by its aerial habit, as a result of which 

 it may be exposed to very dry conditions. The individuals represented in 

 fig- 47 » with two exceptions, are very old, and seem from the broken outline 

 of their distal ends to have already shed a portion of the spore mother cells. 

 In a majority of the sporiferous individuals, however, it is possible to dis- 

 tinguish the scar clearly shown in figs. 50, 51, from which it may be assumed 

 that a segment has been separated, such as is shown in fig. 476. A large 

 number of Enterobryae have also been obtained growing in the same position 

 on a species of Passalus from Grenada, which seems to include more than one 

 species, the larger of which resembles the present form in all respects, except 

 for the absence of any sporulating individuals. All of these, although their 

 walls are somewhat thicker than is normally the case, would be referred without 

 hesitation to Enterobryus. 



The nuclei shown in figs. 48 and 5 1 are readily observed in the alcoholic 

 material by decolorizing, after staining with Haidenhain's iron alum haematoxy- 

 lin. The conditions shown are entirely similar to those described by Haupt- 

 fleisch, and serve to show that these plants cannot under any circumstances 

 be related to the higher bacteria, as has been suggested. One may admit that 



