Udotea indica— Nizamudmn 
245 
tion .relaxes, increasing in diameter, and thus 
making way for the contents from the basal part 
to stream into the terminal part of the repro- 
ductive organ. This process is continued until 
all the zooids are extruded. These zooids seem to 
be morphologically similar. Fusion between 
them has not been observed. Their study is still 
in progress. 
In C odium and Hdimeda special lateral game- 
tan gia are formed, whereas in Udotea indica 
terminal reproductive organs are formed. Such 
terminal club-shaped sporangium formation has 
been observed (Howe, 1907) on blades of Av- 
rainvillea . This transformation of the terminal 
parts of the filaments into reproductive organs 
clearly distinguishes these genera from other 
members of the family Codiaceae. 
The filaments of Udotea indica resemble those 
of C odium and Halimeda in their siphonaceous 
and dichotomous character, but differ in possess- 
ing uni- or bi-lateral appendages. The filaments 
in Avrdnvillea are moniliform in appearance, 
due to the numerous constrictions, but whereas 
Fig. 2. Fertile plant. 
appendages are found in Udotea there are none 
in Avrainvillea . 
Udotea certainly represents a distinctive fam- 
ily, which I here name the Udoteaceae, but the 
systematic position of this family must await 
more complete knowledge of its members’ life 
histories. 
Udoteaceae fam. nov . 
Frond fiabeilate, orbicular, broadly prolifer- 
ated above. The base cuneate, distinctly zonate, 
margin entire, lobed, or lacerated. Filaments ra- 
diating from stipe to the margin, slightly parallel 
or interdigitated, pluriseriate to triseriate, di- 
chotomously branched, supra-dichotomal con- 
striction uneven, uni- or bi-lateral short pedi- 
cellate or truncate appendages simple or lobed. 
Appendages so fitted together as to form a 
primitive cortex. Terminally formed reproduc- 
tive organ with a thick constriction. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENT 
The helpful advice, encouragement, and criti- 
cism of Dr. Maxwell S. Doty, Professor of Bot- 
any, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, 
is gratefully acknowledged. 
REFERENCES 
Boergesen, F. 1930- Some Indian green and 
brown algae especially from the shores of the 
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— - 1934. Some marine algae from the 
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Ernst, A. 1904. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Co- 
diaceen. Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 16: 199 et seq. 
FRITSCH, F. E. 1956. The structure and repro- 
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2:1-791. 
Gepp, A. & E, S. 1911. The Codiaceae of Siboga 
Expedition. Siboga-Exped. Monogr. 62:1- 
150. 
Howe, M. A. 1907. Further notes on Halimeda 
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34:491-516. 
Taylor, W. R. 1950. Plants of Bikini and other 
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