4 Brannon . — The Structure and Development of 
The female plants average larger than the tetrasporic. Their 
cystocarps are arranged promiscuously on either side of the 
frond, while occasional sections through cystocarps growing 
base to base were obtained. The cystocarps are cone-shaped, 
with carpostomes in the crown of each affording a place 
through which the mature carpospores may escape. Within 
the fully-developed conceptacle, dichotomous chains of lake- 
red, slightly elliptical carpospores are readily seen by focussing 
through the pericarp ; but the carpospores are so numerous, 
so densely massed together, and of such deep colour in the 
mature cystocarps, that one can determine very little of 
the true structure of this organ by means of optical sections. 
As in the non-sexual plants, the fruiting-bodies in the male 
and female frond are less mature near the margin and apex. 
On certain cystocarpic plants numerous proliferations are 
developed on both sides of the frond. These plants are 
apparently healthy and normal in all other respects. The 
proliferations may become greatly developed and give the 
plant an unusual appearance, very similar to that of leaves 
bearing many small galls. These outgrowths are composed 
usually of from two to three axial rows of cells corresponding 
to those of the frond, except that their contents are clear and 
granular. These cells are surrounded by one or two layers 
of smaller cells, having the characteristic lake-red colour of 
the frond (Fig. 14). An unusually fine opportunity for the 
study of the origin and development of the cystocarp is 
offered by these proliferations (Figs. 3, 14, 17). They were 
critically examined in whole and sectioned preparations, in 
stages from the earliest formation of the procarp to the 
mature cystocarp. The cystocarps thus developed often 
appeared pedicellate on account of the length of the prolifera- 
tion, in the outer end of which they were borne (Fig. 3). No 
tetrasporic or antheridial plants were found bearing these 
proliferations. 
The asexual plants outnumbered the female even during 
July and August, the period when the latter reached their 
maximum number at Woods Hole. In shape, colour, and 
