THE MAEINE ALG.E OF NEW ENGLAND. 137 



single at the nodes, numerous, usually unicellular, often ending in irreg- 

 ular disks ; tetraspores in a circle at the nodes, immersed in the cor- 

 tical cells ; favellse ? 



Forming tufts on mud-covered rocks at low tide. 



New Haven, Prof. Eaton; near New York, Mr. Young; Newport, 

 E. I. ; common from Nahant to Eastport. 



This species is not, as Harvey and Agardh supposed, very distinct, but, on the con- 

 trary, can scarcely he distinguished from C. Deslongchampsii, except in the tetraspores, 

 which are immersed, not projecting as in that species. Both species inhabit similar 

 localities, both are deep purple in color, are procumbent at the base, and have numer- 

 ous rhizoids ; the branching and erect tips are the same in both. Furthermore, as it 

 occurs with us, ft Hooperi not unfrequently bears precisely such irregular botryoidal 

 masses as are found on C. Deslongchampsii in Europe, and which are figured in the Phy- 

 cologia Britannica. Harvey, as well as Nsegeli and Cramer, doubts whether these masses 

 are really favellae, and, judging from American specimens, they are more probably 

 monstrosities. In one case we found the distortions on a specimen bearing tetraspores, 

 and Na3geli and Cramer have observed a similar case, a presumption against the 

 favelloid nature of the swellings. Fully-matured tetraspoi'es are to be desired, and 

 it may be that they will be found to be prominent, as in C. Deslongchampsii, in which 

 case the validity of the species would be more than doubtful. 



C. fastigiatum, Harv., Phyc. Brit., PI. 255. 



Fronds lake-red, densely tufted, two to five inches high, filaments 

 capillary, dichotomous throughout, divisions erect, level-topped, apices 

 erect or slightly incurved ; tetraspores secund on the outer side of the 

 branches, prominent ; favellae small, lateral, with a short involucre. 



On Zostera. 



Massachusetts Bay j Greenport ; Newport ; Long Branch, Harvey. 



This species is at present a puzzle. In American herbaria one frequently finds speci- 

 mens labelled C. fastigiatum, and some specimens bear Harvey's own handwriting. 

 Unfortunately, the species is persistently sterile, for we have only twice found 

 tetraspores in what seemed to be this species, and sterile specimens are hardly suf- 

 ficient for determination in the genus Ceramium. What was apparently considered by 

 Harvey to be his C. fastigiatum is common south of Cape Cod and forms beautiful tufts 

 on Zostera. The color is a lake-red, the filaments are all capillary and regularly dichot- 

 omous, the upper segments being level-topped, so that when spread on paper the 

 species has a regular outline. The apices are erect, not rolled inwards at the tip, and 

 short rhizoidal processes are given off from some of the nodes. Harvey states that 

 the tetraspores are prominent and secund on the outer edge of the branches, while 

 Agardh says they are whorled at the nodes. In one specimen we found them as de- 

 scribed by Harvey. It must be admitted that when sterile the species approaches 

 too near ft tenuissimum, and it is much to be desired that a large set of fruiting speci- 

 mens be examined to settle the disputed question of the tetraspores. C. fastigiatum is 

 a species apparently not well known to continental botanists, who seem to have at 

 times included it in other species without reference to British specimens. With us it 

 is common, although, considering that there may be a doubt about the determination, 

 we have only quoted the localities given by Harvey. By Agardh C. fastigiatum is con- 

 sidered closely related to ft Deslongchampsii, but judging by Harveyan specimens, 

 both from Ireland and New England, we can hardly think that the tvo species are 

 immediately related. 



