1 8 THOMSON, The Penuatulaceae of the Cape of Good Hope. 



lapping terminal leaves) 173 mm., length of rachis (with 

 overlapping terminal leaves) 88 mm., breadth of rachis 

 87 mm., length of stalk 85 mm., diameter of stalk imme- 

 diately beneath rachis 22 mm., number of leaves 46, num- 

 ber of rays 19, length of pro-rachidial margin of largest 

 leaf ^Z mm., breadth of insertion of largest leaf 12 mm., 

 distance between insertion of leaves 2 mm. 



The stalk is much expanded in a globular manner a 

 short distance beneath the rachis, and at the base it also 

 enlarges and ends in a rounded point. Numerous short, 

 rod-like spicules are seen with a lens on the surface of the 

 stalk and rachis. The ratio length of rachis and stalk is 

 about 1 : 1 6 (the rachis measurement not taking into 

 account the terminal overlapping leaves). The ratio 

 breadth of rachis to length of rachis, including the leaves, 

 is 1 : 5*4. Ventral siphonozooids are present on the rachis 

 at the upper end. 



The leaves of opposite sides approach or overlap one 

 another medianly, and cover the meta-rachidial surface 

 except for an area shaped like an isosceles triangle at the 

 base. This bare area is about $J mm. in length. The 

 pro-rachidial surface is entirely free. The leaves are 

 about 4 mm. in thickness, and are shaped somewhat like 

 a fan which is completely extended one half. Each 

 leaf expands at its meta-rachidial insertion, but there is 

 no stipule. Two leaves at the base of the rachis are 

 rudimentary, the last one not being more than 2-3 mm. in 

 length. The leaves are thick on the meta-rachidial, thin 

 on the pro-rachidial margin. 



In the leaves at the middle of the rachis, there are 

 18-20 strongly developed rays which sometimes project 

 3 mm. beyond the leaf margins, and are each built up of 

 about five spines. The ray of the pro-rachidial margin 

 of each leaf is much stronger than the other rays. 



