1879.} 175 - [Halsted. 
The specimens upon which the variety is founded were collected 
by H. W. Ravenel previous to 1852. In a letter of that year they 
were sent to Dr. Gray, in which he says: “ The Chara which grows 
submerged in the water of Santee Canal is unlike any American 
species I am acquainted with. The racemes are encased throughout 
their fructification in a gelatinous ball.”’ 
Nitella flexilis Ag. 
Nitella flexilis Agardh, Syst. Ale., 124; Kiitz., Phyc. Germ., 256; 
Sp. Ale., 514; A. Braun, in Krypt. Fl., Schlesien, 397. Nitella 
Brongniartiana Coss. and Germ., Fl. Env. Par., 682. Chara 
flexilis A. Braun in Flora 1835, 1, 50; Babington, Man. Eng. Bot., 419. 
Exsiccatae: Braun, Raben. and Stiz., Char. Exsic., 22 and 23. 
Illustrations: Reichenb. Iconog., vi11, Tab. 785-796; Engl., Bot., 
xv, Tab., 1080; Coss. and Germ., Atlas, Tab. 40, C; Kiitz., Tabulae 
Phycol., Vol. vim1, Tab. 32, 2. 
Plants monecious, elongated, slightly branched, bright green; 
whorls remote, consisting of 5-6 leaves; leaves long twice to thrice 
divided, apex obtuse. Antheridia large, .50-.70 mm. in diameter, 
often congregated. Sporangia subglobose, beaked, .70-.85 mm. long, 
7-8-striate. 
This is one of the finest and most common species of the genus; 
and is well adapted for the study of the family. No specimens were 
found in the Gray Collection; but as it is common in the region of 
Cambridge no inconvenience from lack of material has been experi- 
enced. 
Of the five specimens given in Nordstedt and Wahlstedt’s col- 
lection their var. N. crassa most nearly resembles ours. No. 22 of 
Braun, Raben. and Stiz. Exsic., which they call the normal form, is 
‘the same as the American plants. 
Reichenbach’s Tab. 796, represents ‘* Chara flexilis var. nidifica.”’ 
This is one of the varieties of N. flexilis which has also received the 
names Chara glomerulifolia A. Br. and WN. flexilis var. subcapitata 
A. Br. and is a contracted and very fertile form. No. 23 of Braun, 
Raben. and Stiz. Exsic. is of this‘last form, to which some of the 
Essex County specimens approach. Both the fertile, normal form and 
the larger sterile plants of the same, have been collected in abundance 
by Dr. Robbins in Uxbridge, Mass.; Brattleboro, Vt., (Frost); Mer- 
rimac, (Green). 
Nitella translucens Ag. 
Nitella translucens Agardh, Syst., Alg., 134; Kiitz., Sp. Alg., 513; 
Wallman, Char., 27; Coss. and Germ., Fl., Env. Par., 683. Chara 
5S) SS 
2 Se 
— in 
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TF += eon 
ae a ae EN ne er 
