120 M. FOSLIE. [1905 



the sense in which this species has been taken by most authors 

 of late. It is an obvious conclusion that the species has actually- 

 included both four-parted sporangia and two-parted ones, though 

 Rosa n off 1. c. circumscribes it to including only specimens with 

 sporangia four-parted. Nor does M. macrocarpa Rosan. always 

 show bisporic sporangia. Thus Dr. Borne t has kindly communi- 

 cated to me that in specimens of the said form growing on Phyllo- 

 phora he has found partly bisporic sporangia, partly tetrasporic 

 ones. Preparations with both kinds of sporangia have been kindly 

 spared to me. The same is the case with Melobesia Corallince,. 

 in the sense in which it was formerly taken. Cp. Crouan, Solms 

 Laubach and Kauck I.e. I have recently found both bisporic 

 sporangia and tetrasporic ones in Melobesia Cystosirce Hauck, 

 which is parti}- referable to L. p'ustulatum, of which particulars 

 are found below. It must also be observed that — as mentioned 

 above — Melobesia Lejolisii seems to bear both bisporic sporangia 

 and tetrasporic ones. According to this fact it is questionable whether 

 the parting of sporangia can form any definite limit of species. 



I have felt a doubt whether the name of macrocarpa Rosan. 

 ought not to be bestowed upon the form which I have above 

 denominated f. intermedia, although this form, as I have observed 

 above, has formerly, at any rate in part, been referred to the series 

 of forms of M.pustulata. In this case the denomination of fceroensis r 

 admitted in Rem. Melob. Herb. Crouan p. 15 and in Rev. Syst. Surv. 

 Melob. p. 21 would have to be maintained for the form here 

 designated as f. macrocarpa. The only authentic specimen which I 

 have seen of-M". macrocarpa Rosan. is intermediate between the said 

 two forms. The crust is thin as in f. intermedia, but the con- 

 ceptacles approach partly f. fceroensis, partly f. intermedia, though 

 they are mostly a little larger than in the last mentioned form. I 

 therefore think it proper to admit and circumscribe the forms as 

 I have done above. 



The form australis is the most southern form of this species, 

 and also the one which represents typical L. pustulatum in the 

 main in the sense taken by Mr. Rosanoff 1. c. It is rather 

 varying. The frond is often very irregular, essentially dependent 



