A SYNOPSIS 



OF 



PLANTS COLLECTED 



IN THE SOUTHERN 



PROVINCES OF SPAIN AND IN PORTUGAL. 



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ALGiE (1) . 



Spilerococcus (Gigartina) gaditanus. Montag. iii Herb. 

 Webb. 



S. fronde cartilaginea, filiformi, dichotoma, aculeis simplicibus, bre- 

 vissimis, subsecundis, utrinque acuminatis obsita. 



Hi*e. In sinu Gaditano. 



Obs. Our species is very nearly allied to Sphaerococcus armatus of 

 Agardh, published in the Flora oder Botanische Zeitung, 1827, pag. 

 645, if I may judge from the very brief diagnosis supplied by that 

 celebrated algologist. As I propose giving a figure and detailed des- 

 cription of this as well as of the following species in the iconography 

 of Mauritanian and Spanish plants preparing by Mr. Webb, it will 

 suffice to mention here that the aculei simple in our plant are descri- 

 bed as bifurcated in that of M. Agardh. I must however confess that 

 I have observed two or three cases of bifurcation in our plant, but 

 it is to be remembered that in the S. armatus Ag. this character is 

 essential and not exceptional as in our plant. M. Agardh compares 

 his plant to Sphaerococcus compressus , from which he says it differs 

 by its being rose coloured and not olivaceous. Our plant is of a dark 

 purple colour approaching through desiccation to black , and has 

 nothing whatever in common with S. compressus Ag. 1 doubted at 

 first whether it might not belong to one of the many forms of S. con- 

 fervoides Ag. but its internal structure , as I shall hereafter show, is 

 entirely distinct and very peculiar. 



(1) For the following description of two interesting species of Alga- I 

 am indebted to mv excellent friend Dr. Montagne, 



