124 



CEYLON MARINE BIOLOGICAL REPORTS. 



Geographical distribution.— Gwi-LOS : /. intermedia on the north coast of Ceylon in the deeper 

 parts of the httoral zone ; the islands around Jaffna ! Kangesanturai ! /. compressa, Bentota (Ferguson) 

 and Habvey (without any more clearly defined locaUty) ; /. planiuscula, Jaffna ! 



Red Sea ; Indian Oceak ; Pacific ; Atlantic (West Indies). 



11— CAULERPA CORYNEPHORA, Montagne. 



Syn. G. racemosa var. corytiephora, Weber v. Bosse, Monographie des Caulerpes, p. 364. 

 f. complanata (J. G. Agardh) Weber v. Bosse, loc. cit. 



In the Herbarium in Peradeniya there is, under the name of 

 " Caulerpa claviferava,r. ? Dickie," a Caw/erpa collected by Ferguson 

 at Tuticorin (Ceylon Algse No. 414) on the Indian Coast. As these 

 algae are in his collection of Ceylon Algae and as Tuticorin is situated 

 close to the flora district of Ceylon, a mention of this Caulerpa form may 

 not be without interest. Fig. 18 shows the appearance of this Caulerpa. 

 It has a strongish horizontal rhizome with a vertical axis clearly flat 

 and the branchlets arranged in two opposite rows. It is evident that 

 it belongs to the corynephora series in Weber v. Bosse's opinion, and 

 corresponds well Avith J. G. Agardh' s description of C. complanata 

 (• ' Till. Alg. Syst." I., p. 33), as also with type-specimens in Agardh's 

 Herbarium in Lund. We may call special attention to the corres- 

 pondence with Agardh's description of the branchlets (ramenta) as 

 can be seen from the picture. That is to say, they are partly more 

 regular in breadth, partly also constricted at the base, and consequently 

 more clavate at the point. When branches of the latter kind predo- 

 minate this form has a resemblance to the Lamourouxii series, with 

 which the corynephora series has evidently some relationship. 

 -South India : Tuticorin (Ferguson, Ceylon Algse, No. 414) ! Celebes ; 



Fig. 18. — C. corynephora mont. 



/. complanata (j.g. ag.) w. v. b. 



(I X 1). 



Geographical distrihution.- 

 Tropical Coasts of Australia. 



12.— CAULERPA L^TEVIRENS, Montagne. 



Syn. Catderpa racemosa var. Icetevirens, Weber v. Bosse, Monographie des Caulerpes, p. 366. 

 f. laxa (Greville). Weber v. Bosse, loc. cit. p. 367. 



Greville, Remarks on some Algse bel. to the Gen. Caulerpa, PI. II., figs. 1, 2. 

 Ann. and Magazine of Nat. Hist., vol. XII, sec. ser. (1853). 

 Caulerpa laxa, Grev. Murray, Catalogue p. 38. 

 Exsicc. Harvey, Ceylon Algae No. 64. 

 f. depauperata. In all respects very slender and weak, smaller than any other forms ; it is 

 most nearly alHed to /. laxa, of which it is probably to be considered a dwarf form (fig. 20). 

 f. CSepitOSa. Branchlets swollen up, rigid, cyHndrical, or somewhat clavate, the vertical axis 

 short, not above 15 mm. in height and the whole plant firmly and closely tufted with 

 very rigid branchlets rather closely pressed together (figs, 21, 22)- 



C. laetevirens is perhaps one of the rarest Caulerpa forms in Ceylon. I have only observed 

 it at Galle (/. laxa, caespitosa, and depauperata) and Weligama (/. laxa) on the south coast, and only 

 at the first-mentioned place in any great quantity, forming a distinct association. At Galle it 

 grows on the ledges north of Victoria Park ; there it constitutes by itself almost the whole vegetation 

 in locahties strongly exposed to swells, where the slender assimilators swing to and fro in the waves. 



In its organization it also shows adaptations to such a mode of life. The rhizome (fig. 19 a) 

 or the creeping horizontal axis is relatively strongly developed, and very long, witii numerous closely set 



