CHARA TOMENTOSA. 35 



volutions; coronula c. 200 |i. high, 500 (i. broad at the 

 top, spreading. Oospore c. 800-875 [x long, 525-600 n 

 broad, showing about 14 ridges, terminating in incon- 

 spicuous claws ; outer membrane very thin and flexible, 

 translucent pale yellow finely granulate with granules 

 of varying size and prominence. Aniheridium very large, 

 c. 1325-1425 [X in diameter. 



Habitat and Distribution — Ireland: In lakes in 

 the centre, and in some expansions of the Kiver Shannon, 

 all within the drainage of the latter. 



Tipperary, N., and Galway, S.B., R. Shannon below 

 Portumna and Lough Derg. Westmeath, Lough Ennel, 

 Coosan Lough, Lough Owel, Lough Derevaragh, Lough 

 Eee. Longford and Roscommon, Lough Ree. 



First record: Hooker, 1842, from Belvedere Lake 

 (L. Ennel) collected by D. Moore in August, 1841. 



A sterile plant was found in very small quantity in 

 1881 by Mr. Arthur Bennett in the Hundred Stream, 

 near Potter Heigham, East Norfolk, which resembled 

 this species, but we believe it has not since been collected, 

 and the material available is not sufficient to determine 

 its identity. 



Outside the British Isles C. tomentosa is recorded from 

 Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Russia, Germany, Austria 

 Hungary, Switzerland, Spain, France and Turkey, in 

 Siberia and Persia, also in Algiers (subsp. disjuncta, 

 Nordst.). 



A medium to large-sized plant, sometimes attaining a height 

 of 60 cm., the stem usually very stout and firm. It is generally 

 thickly incrusted, this being particularly the case in some of 

 the Irish specimens, which have a coral-like appearance, justi- 

 fying perhaps more than any other species the name of " Stone- 

 wort." In its characteristic forms it can be readily distinguished 

 by the conspicuously large gibbous bract-cells. 



The young shoots have a curious salmon-pink tinge when 

 fresh, as figured (though the colour is somewhat exaggerated) in 

 ' Flora Danica,' 1. 1941. Withering refers to the colour, but can 

 scarcely have seen the plant from these islands. 



The great prominence of the primary cortical series gives the 



