468 103. CHAEACE«. 



3. Selagdtei'la Spring. 



1. S.spinulo'sa{A..TiT!.); 1. uniform scattered lanceolate ciliate, 

 spikes terminal solitary sessile leafy upon short erect 'branclies. 

 — E. B. 1148. iV. 371. — St. prostrate, much branched, rooting, 

 slender. Flowering branches simple, short, erect. Small spores 

 muricate in 2-valved reniform caps. ; large spores papillose in 

 3_4.valved capsules.— Boggy spots chiefly in mountainous 

 districts. P. VIII. E.S.I. 



B. Stems of one or more parallel tubes, verticillately branched. 

 Nucules and globules on the branches. 



Order GUI. CHARACEiE. 



Leailess branched plants with stems formed of one or more 

 parallel tubes. 'Two Kinds of fructification ; round red globules 

 (anthers ?) formed of 8 valveSj enclosing cells containing granular 

 matter and spiral filaments ; oval nucules formed of 1 cell with 

 5 filaments folded spirally round it and containing minute gra- 

 nules which appear at last to unite into a single seed. — Plants 

 aquatic. The position of this Order is very doubtful '. 



1. NiTELiiA. Globules and nucules at the forhing of the 

 branchlets. Crown of nucule of 10 cells in 2 rows lying 

 upon each other, the upper smaller, usually deciduous. — 

 No stipulodes. Stem of one tube. 



2; Chara. Globule taking the place of central bract, below 

 the nucule. Crown of nucule of 5 equal cells in one row, 

 persistent. — Stipulodes in 1 or 2 whorls. Usually with 

 cortical cells. 



1. Nitel'la Ag. 



* Olohules terminal in tJie forking of the branchlets. Nucules 

 below the globules. Segmenis nearly equal. — Nitblla Braun. 



t Branchlets only once divided into 1-jointed segments. 



1. N. Jlex'ilig (Ag.) ; monoecious, st. slender flexible trans- 

 parent, branchlets pointed not mucronate, fertile walls usually 

 lax, nucules 2 or 3 together with 8 or 9 spires. — Atl. Fl. Par. 

 40. — Usually slender, flexible, light green, often encrusted. — 

 Ponds. VLVII. ' ^ o > ^ 



' See Messrs. Groves' valuable paper in the J. of B. xviii. and xix., 

 where are figures of nearly all the species. 



