458 103. CHAHACE^. 



L. coineplan&tnm (L.) 13 atated to oecur near Bramshat, Hants. 

 I haye not seen it, and doubt its being correctly named. 



3. SEiAaiNEL'LA Sptiixg. 



] . S, spinulo'sa (A, Br.) ; 1. uniform scattered lanceolate ciliate, 

 spikes terminal solitary sessile leafy upon short erect branches. 

 — E. B, 1148. N. 371, — St. prostrate, mucb branched, rooting, 

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

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

 •■j — 4-TalTed capsules. — Boggv spots chiefly in mountainous 

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



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

 Nucules and globules on the branches. 



Order CIII. CHAEACEiE. 



Leafless branched plants with stems formed of one or more 

 parallel tubes. Two kinds of fructification ; round red globules 

 (anthers ?) formed of 8 valves, enclosing cells containing granular 

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

 ■J filaments folded spirally round it and containing minute gra- 

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

 green, aquatic. The position of this Order is yery doubtful ; 

 and opinions are various concerning its structure. 



1. Chara. The only genus. 



1. Cha'ka Linn. 



I. NiTisLLA Ag. — Crown of nucule of 10 cells forming 2 cir- 

 cles lying upon each other, never spreading, generally falling oiF 

 before the nucule is ripe. Stems more or less pellucid, com- 

 posed of one tube. — No involucral spines below the whorls. 



i. Niiella. Globules terminal at the forks of the branchlets. 



* Branchlets only once divided into 1-Joiiited segments, 

 6 — 8 in a whm-l, similar, 



1. C.Jlex'ilis (L.) ; monoecious, st. slender equal flexible trans- 

 parent, branchlets pointed not mucronate nearly equally forked 

 ur trifid, nucules and globules together in the forks of the 

 branchlets without bracts. — Atl. Fl. Par. 40 0. — Rather slender, 

 green, pellucid. Primary branches seldom more than once 

 divided. Sometimes the axiUary branchlets are much more 

 divided and clustered (C. nidifica of collectors). Nucules with 

 strioe.— Ditches. P. V. E. S, 1. 



