310 Batters . — On some New 
In typical members of the Chordariaceae, e.g. Castagnea 
virescens , C. Zosterae , Microcoryne ocellata (and according to 
Farlow, Chordaria divaricata :), the frond at first appears as 
a roundish spot, composed of a single layer of cells, from 
which a tuft of vertical filaments, ending in hairs, arises. 
These vertical filaments generally produce clusters of monili- 
fonn coloured filaments only on one side — that most distant 
from the centre of the tuft — while on the side turned to the 
centre of the tuft, at a later period, rhizoidal filaments are 
formed which bind the separate individual filaments of which 
the tuft is composed into a compound frond. The frond of 
such a plant as Castagnea virescens is therefore a collection of 
originally independent filaments which have become twisted 
together and partially united by means of the rhizoidal fila- 
ments, the secund groups of moniliform filaments forming 
what appears to be a distinct cortical layer. In Buffhamia , 
on the other hand, the frond is not in any sense of the word 
compound. As has been shown, the young frond consists of 
a few superimposed cells, ending in a hair ; by transverse 
and longitudinal division a solid axis is formed, surrounded by 
a layer of smaller cells, from which, at a later period, the 
cortical filaments arise. It will, therefore, be seen that 
although Buffhamia in its mature state closely resembles the 
members of the Chordariaceae, in its earlier stages it shows 
a closer relationship with Asperococcaceae, or, through Myrio- 
trichia dens a, with the Myriotrichaceae. It appears, therefore, 
best to regard it as the type of a distinct family, which may 
be thus characterized. 
Buffhamiaceae, Nov. Fam. 
Fronds cylindrical, simple, more or less gelatinous, with an 
axis of large colourless cells surrounded by smaller coloured 
cells, from which arise colourless hairs, and, at maturity, 
numerous short, simple or forked, jointed assimilatory fila- 
ments (paraphyses), densely covering the whole surface of the 
frond, "With the exception of the basal portion ; plurilocular 
sporangia linear-oblong or spindle-shaped, borne between the 
