Ser. CHLOROSPERMES. Fam. Nostochinee. 
Prats CCLVI. 
MONORMIA INTRICATA, Bere. 
Gen. Cuar. Frond gelatinous, branched ; the branches containing a spiral 
moniliform filament, composed of spherical, coloured cells, interrupted 
here and there by a cell of a different kind, and of larger size. Spores 
formed from the ordinary cells. Monormta (Bers.),—from povos, one, 
and oppos, a necklace. 
Monormtia intricata. 
Monormta intricata, Berk. Gl. Brit. Alg. p.46.t.18. Harv. Man. ed. 1. 
p- 185. Hass. Brit. Fresh Water Alga, p. 285. pl. 75. f. 11. 
Has. At Gravesend, in the ditches of the marsh to the south of the 
Frindsbury canal, in great abundance, in June, 1832, Rev. W. J. 
Berkeley. Ditch (brackish) near Lighthouse, Shirehampton, Bristol, 
Mr. G. H. K. Thwaites. 
Geogr. Distr. Not noticed out of England ? 
Descr. “ Forming small, roundish, gelatinous masses floating amongst different 
species of Lemna in fresh water, but probably within the influence of the 
tide; and also amongst Hnteromorpha intestinalis, and even within its frond, 
in brackish water. The plant is at first of an olive yellow, gradually as- 
suming a greener tint, and when dried, of a deep verdigris. Very gelati- 
nous, delicately branched; the branches very flaccid. Under a high magni- 
fier the whole plant is evidently composed of gelatine, in the centre of 
which runs a single moniliform filament following the ramifications, and in 
its progress curling to and fro repeatedly across the thread; the joints 
being nearly globular. The specimens from the interior of Exteromorpha 
intestinalis are paler, and have often longer joints amongst the globular 
ones.’—Berk. In young specimens the moniliform thread is found com- 
posed of a string of spherical, olive-green cells, of equal size, here and there 
interrupted by a larger, subquadrate cell, much paler than the rest. As it 
advances in age the cells, nearest the quadrate cell enlarge, become ellipsoid, 
and filled with a dense endochrome; in fact, converted into spores. The 
process of change into spores goes on at each side of the quadrate cell 
(which remains unchanged), until the whole of the filament is turned into 
a string of spores. If these simply organized plants have sexes, the func- 
tions of the male probably reside in these quadrate cells. 
This curious plant has but a slender claim for admission into 
this work, bemg commonly a fresh-water production ; but the 
specimens here figured having been obtained from the same salt- 
water ditches which have already supplied us—through the kindl- 
ness of Mr. Thwaites,—with several interesting subjects, I have 
thought that there could be no objection to giving a figure of a 
F 2 
