more or less deeply and repeatedly cleft into numerous dichotomous, patent 
segments, with broad, rounded intervals, and more or less obtuse, often 
very obtuse apices. The lower segments are more or less cuneate, the 
upper mostly linear, with a perfectly flat and even, entire margin. Some- 
times, especially in specimens that bear tubercles, the apices are more or 
less erose and jagged. In var. 8. the disciform root sends out very nume- 
rous filiform, branching sureuli, from whose sides spring, very irregularly, 
simple, or once forked, very narrow fronds, attenuated at the apex, and 
sometimes produced into long, filamentous cirrhi. Zwdbercles globose, 
seated on the margin or dise of the uppermost segments, with a wide pel- 
lucid border, and thick cellular pericarp, containing a very convex mass of 
angular spores. Te¢raspores forming deep red blotches in the pale, ex- 
panded apices of the segments, cruciate or tripartite. Colowr, a fine pinky 
red, preserved in drying. Substance membranacecus, somewhat rigid, and 
very imperfectly adhering to paper in drying. 
This pretty species, though it varies as to the greater or less 
division of the frond, generally preserves a tolerably uniform, 
flabellate outlme, which, taken in connexion with its bright pinky 
colour, and rather rigid, crisp substance, sufficiently distinguishes 
it from any British species. There are some closely allied forms 
m the Southern Ocean, as &. corallina and R. flabelliformis, 
which it is sometimes more difficult to separate. Among British 
plants the nearest in form is certainly 2. membranifolia (Chondrus 
membranifolius, Grev.), but this may always be known by the very 
different colour, independently of differences in the fructification. 
A marked difference exists between specimens which produce 
tetraspores, and those that bear tubercles, as may be seen by 
comparing our upper and lower figures. ‘I'he former are inva- 
niably more expanded, with broad and rounded tips; the latter 
more drawn into a stem with shorter and denser segments, and 
truncate or abruptly cut tips. 
A very remarkable variety, which bears a close resemblance to 
the var. 8. of Phyllophora Brodiei, is noticed above under the 
name WViceensis, and represented at fig, 3. This always springs 
from decumbent fibres, which often acquire a considerable length. 
In the Mediterranean specimens the frond is usually quite simple, 
prolonged at the apex into a cirrhous appendage. British spe- 
cimens are more commonly forked, and thei apices, though at- 
tenuate, seldom produced into a tendril. 
Fig. 1. Ruopymenra PatMerra: specimen with soz of tetraspores in the 
tips. 2. Specimen bearing tubercles. 3. Var. B.:—all of the natural size. 
4. Apex of a segment, with sorus. 5. Cross section of the same. 6. 
Tetraspores. 7. Apex of a segment, with tubercles. 8. Section of a 
tubercle. 9. Spores :—all more or less magnified. 
