15 129 /' Umj$ of the Royal Irish Academy. 



Ascocychus foecundus Cotton, comb. nov. (= Pkyeocdis v >mf. : 



A. sphaerophorus Sauv. : A. island icus Jons.). 



Phi/cocclis foecunda has long baffled algologists. The type-specimen shows 

 that it is an Ascocyclus, and identical with the plant bo well described by 

 Sauvagean as A, tphaerophonu. The number of ascocysts varies greatly in 

 different specimens; but, as Stromfelt's name suggests, the sporangia are 

 very numerous. Common on Ehodymmia palmata. 



A. Saccharinae sp, nov} (Plate X, figs. 4-9). A. amni* Cotton, "07. non Sved. 



Plants forming dark brown circular spots 1-2 mm. diam., rarely 0-4 mm. 

 Discoid thallus monostromatic or partly diplostromatie, S-14 ^ thick, not 

 parenchymatous in centre; margin rather irregular; radiating filaments 

 regular, 7-8 ji wide, by 1-2 times as long: chromatophores 4-6. Haiis 

 numerous, basal; sheath well developed; adult cells GO-SO x 7-8 a. 

 Assimilating filaments few or absent, simple, cylindrical. 70-120 p long, thin- 

 walled ; cells, 7-9 fx wide by 1-2 times as long. Ascocysts usually abundant, 

 appearing very early on conspicuous wide margin of basal thallus, sessile, 

 rarely stalked, thick- walled towards the base, typically clavate. 30-40 \ 9-10 /i 

 (on young plant sometimes globose, 15 x 20 x 10-14 /u). Unilocular sporangia 

 unknown. Plurilocular sporangia very abundant, sessile, subsessile. or stalked, 

 lanceolate or elliptic-oblong, rather small, 30-40 x 10 n {on old plants 

 30-55 x 10-12 n), 1-2 seriate; locali 4-6 ^ high. 



Habitat. — On Lamina ria saccharina. 



Fruit vng Season. — Early spring till late autumn. 



Distribution. — England (Swanage, "Weymouth. Plymouth), Ireland (Clare 

 Island). 



This species, hitherto undescribed, is not uncommon on the south coast of 

 England, and was found more than once on Clare Island. It occurs on young 

 plants of L. saccharina, usually on the decaying tips of the fronds, where it 

 forms dark-brown spots often intermixed with Myrumema Corunnac. It may, 

 however, also occur on older fronds, in which case it is usually larger and 

 often presents irregularities in microscopic structure. 



The species most closely resembles A. foecundus, but it differs in the 

 typically clavate ascocysts. although in young plants there is a tendency for 

 these bodies to be subglobose. The spots formed are not so large, and the 



1 .Maculae minutae, fuscae 1-2 (raro —4) mm. diam. Discus unistratosus vel partim duostratosus. 

 cellulis circa 12-16 x 6-8^, organa rerticalia emittens (1) pilos numerosos. cellulis 60 x SO \ 7-S u. 

 (2) fila assimilantia rara. breva, 7-9^ lata, ibroniatopboris 4-6, minutis (3^ sporangia plurilocularia 

 numerosissima, sessilia vel breviter aut interdum longius pedieelhta, elliptico-obloiisrrita, 1-2 seriata. 

 plerumque 30-40 x 10 u . 



