130 



CEYLON MARINE BIOLOGICAL REPORTS. 



But. on the other hand, there are also forms which point in quite a different direction. In Ceylon 

 too, there are C. Chemnitzia forms which have their upper branchlets developed more in a spherical than a 

 disciform way. Fig. 30 shows such a form growing together with other C. Chemnitzia forms. Such are 

 more rare on the Ceylon coast, but occur more frequently on other coasts. Thus Askenasy (" Forschung- 

 reise S. M. S. Gazelle." IV., Algen) mentions such a form from New Guinea, and Bobgesen has collected 

 a similar one in the West Indies at St. John (Witte., Nordst. et Lagerh. Alg. exsicc. No. 1,586) which is 

 very characteristic in that the upper part of the vertical axis to nearly half the length of the axis is pro- 

 vided with spherically swollen branchlets. It is also a typical form of this kind that Reinke gives in fig. 

 57 of liis work on Caulerpa. Such forms seem to be more common in the West Indies and it 

 is apparently such a form that J. G. Agabdh has grouped as /3. occidentalis in his Caulerpa Monograph, 



Fig 29, — C. Chemnitzia (esp.) lam. 

 f. ad peltatam. (3 x 1). 



Fig. 30. — C. Chemnitzia {E3F.) lam. f. ad 

 uriferam. (a. b 1 X 1 : c 3 X 1). 



p. 37. And it is naturally the existence of such forms as has induced Weber v. Bosse in her monograph 

 to class C. Chemnitzia as a variety of C. racemosa (sens, lat.) thereby following up an idea suggested first 

 by Askenasy loc. cit. p. 16) even if she lays stress on its transitionary position between "racemosa" 

 {sens, strict. = uvifera) and peliata. 



But if now Chemnitzia, as I have already shown, can develop to the same extent in the peltata 

 direction as in the uvifera direction, it seems evident to me that it could with equal justification be classed 

 under peltata as under racemosa-uvifera (sec. Weber v. Bosse). And judging from the variations of this 

 species in Ceylon, one would be inclined to prefer the latter. But in my opinion both would be equally 

 unliappy. For it is clear that C. Chemnitzia should be considered as a more original form than either 

 uvifera or peltata. In reality it can develop into either. That in both variations the basal branchlets , i.e., 

 the first formed and earliest developed, are cylindrical seems to prove that this is an original character. 

 If all the branchlets continue to be of this kind we get C. Icetevirens, wliile if some begin to show trumpet- 

 shaped swellings, but with flattened poiats, we have the typical Chemnitzia, which^according as the 

 variation assumes the disciform or the spherical shape — gives rise to peltata or uvifera, respectively. But 

 it follows from this also that C. Chemnitzia is to be placed under neitiier the one nor the other, but 



