CHARA DESMACANTHA. 55 



12. Chara desmacantha Groves & Bullock- Webster. 

 (Plate XL.) 



Chara aspera subsp. desmacantha H. & J. Gkoves in Journ. Bot. 



XXXVI, p. 410, t. 391 (1898). 

 C. desmacantha Groves & Bullock-Webstbk, see Vol. I, p. 94. 



ExsiccATA : — Braun, Rabenh. & Stiz. 116 ; Groves 8, 31, 3.5 ; Migula, 

 Sydow & Wahlst. 148 ; Mougeot & Nestl. 1196 ; Gr. & B.-W. 37, 38. 



Dioecious. Stem moderately stout ; internodes usually 

 twice to three times the length of the branchlets. Root- 

 nodes sometimes producing solitary or clustered whitish 

 spherical bulbils . Cortex usually regularly triplostichous, 

 the primary cortical-cells broader than the secondary, 

 the secondary usually meeting squarely, but sometimes 

 obliquely. Spine-cells well developed in groups of 2-6 

 (most commonly 3-4), rarely a few solitary, often of very 

 irregular size, mostly long, slender, acmninate, bulbous- 

 based, but in the larger clusters often with 1-2 papilliform. 

 Whorls usually of 8-11 branchlets. Stipulodes usually 

 long, tapering, acuminate, bulbous-based. Branchlets 

 moderately stout, straightish or incurved, of usually 

 7-8 segments, of which the upper 1-2 are ecorticate. 

 Bract-cells 5-7, usually all long and slender, hracteoles 

 equalling or exceeding the bract-cells, hractlet usually 

 shorter. Oogonia and antheridia solitary produced at 

 lowest 1-3 branchlet-nodes. Oogonium c. 625-750 \l 

 long (excl. cor.), c. 375-450(0, broad; spiral-cells showing 

 14-17 convolutions ; coronula c. 125 (x high, 250 yu 

 broad, spreading. Oospore c. 525 t^ long, 275-325 (a 

 broad, showing 13-16 ridges, terminating in basal claws; 

 outer membrane thick-laminated, semi-rigid, semi-opaque, 

 light brown, granulated with gxanules of varying pro- 

 minence. Antheridium -> 650 \j. m diameter. 



Habitat. — Lakes and large ponds. 



'DiBTBiBVTios.— England: Cornw.,W.,Norf., E. &W., 

 Cambs, Hunts, Lanes, S., Yorks, S.E., Westmorland. 

 Wales : Anglesea, Pembroke. 

 Scotland : Argyll, Orkney. 



