58 



The conceptacles finally grow down into the frond. Over- 

 grown ones are more common in specimens with a more solid 

 central portion or much anastomosing branches than in specimens 

 the branches of which are free, but never to be found in any great 

 number, often, on the contrary, apparently wanting. I occasionally 

 met with grown-in organs of that kind filled with local formations 

 of tissue. In a form of the species standing nearest to f. connata 

 I found in overgrown conceptacles rather numerous sporangia, 

 most of which were bisporic, probably not being fully developed 

 before they grew down together with the conceptacles. 



Cystocarpic conceptacles are only known in f. typica and f. 

 parvicocca. They are conical, low and at the summit abruptly 

 passing into a short and thin tip, which easily falls away, 350 — 

 450 fj. in diameter at the base, scattered or somewhat crowded 

 without any order, sometimes in pairs. I have not seen the car- 

 pospores. 



Remark on the synonomy. A specimen in Areschoug's 

 herbarium under the name of L. fasciculatum I refer to the pre- 

 sent species. It is scantily provided with conceptacles of sporangia, 

 collected at Christiansund N. by F. L. Ekman. Cp. Aresch. 1. c. 



Relation to other species. It appears to be most closely related 

 to L. fruticulosum, f. typica analogous to f. typica, f. connata 

 analogous to f. fastigiata, and f. patula, or an intermediate form 

 between this one and f. connata analogous to f. nana of that 

 species, and on the other hand standing between the named spe- 

 cies and the following one, L. gracilescens, the form parvicocca 

 nearly connected with the latter. The species distinguishes itself 

 from L. fruticulosum especially by its in general thinner branches 

 and smaller conceptacles of sporangia, shorter cells and different 

 conceptacles af cystocarps. It is in all a much smaller plant than 

 the named one. From L. gracilescens it is separated by charac- 

 ters quoted under this species. The form patula in its most ex- 

 treme form reminds one much of certain forms af L. corralloides. 

 It is, however, distinguished by its ticker, more straight and more 

 regular branches, a little coarser structure, as well as a little smaller 

 conceptacles of sporangia. 



