‘I'he genus Grateloupia contains several species, all of which 
are natives of the warmer parts of the temperate zone, about 
lat. 34° to 40°. G. filicina is the only one which has a very 
wide distribution, and it extends from the tropical ocean to the 
southern shores of Britain, where it becomes very much dwarfed 
in size, but where, nevertheless, it frequently produces fruit of 
both kinds. In the Mediterranean Sea, where it is common, 
the fronds are six or eight inches in expansion, and regularly and 
closely bipinnate, the pinnules an mch or more in length. Speci- 
mens from the Indian Ocean are very similar. ‘Those from the 
Cape of Good Hope, while they are quite as long, have a much 
narrower outline, with shorter pimne and pmnule. 
The only British plant with which this is likely to be confounded, 
is Gelidium corneum, to some varieties of which, especially that 
which I have called feavosum (P1.LIIT. Fig. 2),it bears a very strong 
external resemblance. Its softer and more membranous substance 
will generally distinguish it to the feel; and the microscope will 
point out a difference of structure, when closely examined. If 
in a state of fruit, there can be no difficulty in discriminating 
between them. 
The discoverer of G. jilicina in Britain was Miss Cutler of 
Sidmouth, and the earliest notice of its occurrence appeared in 
Dr. Greville’s ‘ Algze Britannice’. It is still a desideratum in 
the flora of Ireland and of Scotland, but the chances of its being 
met with in the latter country are very feeble. 
Fig. 1. GrareLoupia FrLicina :—the natural size. 2. A pinna with tetraspores 
in the accessory leaflets. 3. Vertical section of the same, showing the 
position of the tetraspores. 4. Tetraspores. 5. A pinna with tubercles. 
6. Transverse section of the same :—all more or less highly magnified. 
