— 261 - 



So far as I have been able to follow the development in my 

 material, the formation of the branches takes place in the following 

 way; first much cell plasma with chromatophores and nuclei accu- 

 mulate at the point where a branch will grow out. The accumu- 

 lation is separated from the mother-cell by a membrane and then 

 begins to grow out like a cupola outgrowth. This becomes 

 more and more prolonged and gradually assumes the shape of the 

 mother-cell. The branches in each bundle are established succes- 

 sively, so that branches in different stages of development are 

 found in the young bundle and even in the older a young branch 

 occurs now and then (compare fig. 10). 



Some small, short, thick 

 rhizoid-like organs grew often 

 out from the lower side of 

 the above-mentioned swellings 

 at the base of the branches 

 in the older part of the thal- 

 lus; they grow downwards 

 and when they meet the wall 

 of the cell below they attach 

 themselves very firmly to it 

 and serve to strengthen the 

 plant (fig. 1 1 c, 12 b). These 

 organs remind one very much 

 of the clamps, as Murray 

 and Boodle (in Annals of 

 Botany, vol. 2, p. 276) call 

 them and which they have 

 found in Struvea ramosa. 

 Often only one or two of these 



clamps are found but sometimes a whole ring of them are devel- 

 oped quite near each other (fig. 1 1 c). 



Furthermore, in some specimens but far from common some 

 longer rhizoid-like appendices grow out from the swelling (fig. 12 c, d). 

 These appendices are so far as I have seen not separated by a 

 wall from the mother cell, in contrast to the above-mentioned 

 clamps where a wall is present. Kuckuck who has examined a 

 dried specimen collected by the late M lle Vickers at Barbadoes 

 has also found them. He writes I.e. p. 187: "Dagegen zeigten die 

 Sprossenden im unteren Teile des Büschels Gruppen von locker 



Fig. 11. Ernodesmis verticillata (Kütz.) 

 a. base of the plant (8 : 1). &. basal end of a 

 branch (12 : 1). c- do. with a ring of clamps (12:1). 

 d- chromatophores with pyrenoids and nuclei 

 (300 : 1). 



