228 SEA MOSSES. 



thickly dotted over, when bearing tetraspores, with 

 small, colored, raised spots. 



Dried, the plant is stiff, substantial, and tough, 

 and of a very dark red color. It is among the 

 commonest of plants at Santa Cruz, at all seasons, 

 near low-tide mark on the rocks, and in tide pools. 

 It is very scarce at Santa Barbara, growing on small 

 rocks near low-tide, and is altogether absent at San 

 Diego. No representative of the genus is found on 

 our eastern shores. 



Order.— CRYPTONEMIE&. 

 Genus.— PRIONITIS* Ag. 



This is a very common form on the whole of 

 the west coast. The genus is characterized when 

 dry, by a thickish, hard, smooth, leathery, flat frond, 

 of a dark red-brown color. 



Prionitis lanceolata, Harv. 



The specific name refers to the lance-shaped 

 leaflets, which are found upon the edges of its 

 branches. The plant has a narrow, flattened frond, 

 one-tenth of an inch wide, which sparingly forks, or 

 branches from its two edges, in a very irregular, 



* Prionitis = A little saw. 



