484 
SUMMARY OF CURRENT RESEARCHES RELATING TO 
Phyllophora. * * * § — Herr 0. V. Darbishire describes in detail the 
anatomy and development of the three known species of this genus of 
Floridese. The thallus is differentiated into a basal disk, and an erect 
stem-like thallus, branching into leaf- like structures. The thallus is 
composed of a cortex aud a pith, the cells of which contain respectively 
rhodoplasts and leucoplasts. A secondary growth in thickness occurs 
in P. membranifolia. The reproductive organs consist of nematheces, 
antherids, and cystocarps. Experiments in germinating the tetraspores 
of P. Brodisei were successful. No conjugation could be detected 
between the carpogone and the supporting cell. 
The author altogether disputes the conclusions of Schmitz j - that the 
so-called nematheces of P. Brodisei and rubens are in reality parasitic 
algae belonging to the genera Actinococcus and Colacole/pis. They are, 
he asserts, the true nematheces of Phyllophora. 
Laminaria.J — Herr E. R. Kjellman distributes the species of this 
genus of Phaeosporese under eight types, dependent on the arrangement 
and structure of the sori. One new species, L. gyrata , is described. 
Pores of Desmidiaceae.§ — By staining with anilin dyes Dr. J. Liitke- 
miiller finds, in all the larger species of Closterium , a great number of 
fine pores, the filaments of which have no terminal swelling. In other 
genera of desmids, on the contrary, the pore-filaments end in a capitate 
enlargement. In Xanthidium armatum the pore-filaments have very 
large clove-shaped terminal swellings, which are perforated by a central 
canal. In this and some other species there appear to be very fine 
j)ores in addition to the large ones. As far as present observations go, 
the species of Closterium and Penium which are provided with pores 
are destitute of the mucilaginous envelope possessed by other porous 
desmids. 
The author suggests the division of the Desmidiese into two primary 
groups, viz. : — (1) Those in which the cell- wall is composed of a single 
j)iece, is destitute of pores, and has no prismatic gelatinous envelope 
.( Mesotsenium , Cylindrocystis, Spirotsenia) ; (2) those in which the cell- 
wall is composed of t^vo halves (in some species of Closterium and 
Penium of several pieces), including all the other genera. Gonatazygon 
and some species of Penium are distinguished from the rest of this 
group by the absence of pores and of a gelatinous envelope. Closterium 
appears to occupy an intermediate position, from the absence of the 
gelatinous envelope, and the occurrence of pore-filaments which have no 
terminal capitate enlargement. 
Acrosiphonia. ||- — Herr F. R. Kjellman describes in detail the 
structure of this genus of Cladophoracese. It is distinguished by the 
terminal cells of the rhizoids being filled with starch and giving birth 
to new individuals, and by the very elongated terminal cell of the 
* Bot. Centralbl., lvii. (1894) pp. 361-9. f Cf. this Journal, ante , p. 376. 
t Bih. K. Svensk. Vetensk. Akad. Handl., 1893, 17 pp. and 1 pi. See 
Hedwigia, xxxiii. (1894), Rep., p. 42. 
§ SB. Zool.-Bot. Geseil. Wien, xliii. (1893) p. 38; Oesterr. Bot. Zeitschr., xliv. 
(1894) pp. 1 1-6, 49-53. 
|| Bih. K. Svensk. Yetensk. Akad. Handl., 1893, 114 pp. and 1 pi. See 
Hedwigia, xxxiii. (1894), Rep., p. 11. 
