62 
PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol, XXII, January 1968 
Polysiphonia beaudettii Hollenberg (1961:348) 
Figs. 1 E, 17 
Plants epiphytic, to 4 cm or more high, with 
main erect branches to 700p in diameter at 
the base, with distinct main axes and infrequent 
lateral branches, attached basally by a tuft of 
unicellular rhizoids with digitate tips and cut 
off by a cross-wall from the pericentral cells 
of 2-3 basal segments ; pericentral cells 4, 
around a much smaller central cell, ecorticate, 
with segments in median parts of main branches 
400-5 00 p in diameter and 0. 5-0.6 diameter 
long with relatively thick walls; trichoblasts 
one per segment in J spiral sequence, with 
3-4 dichotomies, mostly short but sometimes 
to 560p long and about 18p in diameter at the 
base and tapering to very delicate tips, often 
more or less persistent; all or nearly all fruiting 
branches cicatrigenous in origin, relatively short 
and prominently narrowed at the base; tetra- 
sporangia to 80p in diameter, in spiral series 
but not protuberant; cystocarps 2 70-3 2 Op in 
diameter, slightly urceolate, with cells of the 
ostiolar rim not enlarged ; spermatangial 
branches 200-240 X 45-60p, usually with a 
sterile tip composed of 1-2 short cells, arising 
as a primary fork of a trichoblast. 
type locality: Isla Grande, Guerrero, 
Mexico. 
MATERIAL STUDIED: HAWAIIAN ISLANDS — D. 
19145AM1, D. 19116B1, D. 19116Q2, D. 
19116R2, on other algae all dredged 20 fa, 
Pokai Bay, Oahu, Sept. 15, 1959; D. 19125C2, 
tetrasporic, cystocarpic, and spermatangial, on 
Amphiroa sp., D. 19125L1, on Spyridia, dredged 
13 fa, Pokai Bay, Oahu, July 29, 1959; Philip- 
pine islands — two collections by D. P. Abbott, 
one tetrasporic, on other algae, northeast coast 
of Siasi I., Sulu Sea, Jan. 28, 1957; and the 
other tetrasporic, spermatangial, on Udotea sp., 
Faganak I., Turtle Group, Feb. 24, 1957. 
The central and western Pacific specimens 
differ from the type in having trichoblasts 
regularly one per segment, in the lack of a 
creeping base, and in having much larger main 
axes. They agree with Mexican specimens in 
most other respects. In the original description 
of P. beaudettii the branches were described as 
"seemingly arising in connection with tricho- 
blasts.” They definitely do not arise in connec- 
tion with trichoblasts in the case of the central 
and western Pacific specimens. Further collec- 
tions will be needed to determine these points 
and to determine the correctness of the disposi- 
tion of the specimens reported here. 
Polysiphonia delicatula sp. nov. 
Fig. IF 
Minute epiphytic algae, chiefly prostrate, 
with creeping branches 40-50-(80)p in diam- 
eter with walls 5-6-(8)p thick, composed of 
segments mostly 1.0-1. 5 diameters long and 
attached at frequent intervals by unicellular 
rhizoids, which are cut off as separate cells from 
the center of the pericentral cells; with very 
short, terminal trichoblasts, one per segment, 
which are quickly deciduous ; erect branches 
distinctly smaller to 2.5 mm high, with seg- 
ments in median parts mostly 25-30p in diam- 
eter, and 1.0-1. 4 diameters long, arising cicatri- 
genously at distant intervals; lateral branches 
rare, arising in place of trichoblasts ; pericentral 
cells 4, ecorticate; trichoblasts mostly very deli- 
cate, short and quickly deciduous, but occasion- 
ally persisting and up to 230p long, with 2-4 
semidichotomous branches and with a basal cell 
6 — 7— ( 1 5 ) pi in diameter and 8-12 diameters 
long; trichoblasts mostly one per segment in 
J spiral sequence near branch tips; scar-cells 
about 6p in diameter in corresponding positions 
on both prostrate and erect branches but often 
many consecutive segments with no scar-cells; 
tetrasporangia 25-30-(50)ji in diameter in 
short spiral series of about 10 toward the apices 
of erect branches whose segments are greatly 
distended ; procarps 2-4 per erect branch, cysto- 
carps and spermatangial branches unknown. 
Algae epiphyticae minutae, praecipue prostratae, 
per rhizoidea unicellularia, ut cellulas discretas separ- 
ata, affixae; rami erecti ad 2.5 mm alt., raro ramosi, 
25 - 30(1 diam., segmenta in partibus mediis 1.0-1. 4 
plo longioria quam lata habentes, in intervallis re- 
motis cicatrigone enascentes; celiulae pericentrales 4, 
ecorticatae; trichoblastae plerumque una in unoquoque 
segmento, delicatae, breves, cito deciduae; cellulae- 
cicatrices ca. 6p, diam, in ramis et erectis et prostratis, 
plerumque una in unoquoque segmento; tetraspor- 
angia plerumque 25— 30p, diam, ca. 10 in serie brevi 
spirali, segmenta nultum distendentia; organa sexualia 
matura non observata. 
