236 
Lilian Lyle. 
They begin as proliferations, and extend indefinitely, eventu¬ 
ally equalling or exceeding in size the parent plant. In some 
cases they may even bear secondary growths or proliferations 
which repeat the characteristics of the primary ones. 
Rhodymenia paltnata, Nitopliyllum Hillice, Nit. litteratum, 
Callymenia reniformis, Call. Laterice and Callophyllis flabellata all 
exhibit these growths. 
In the case of the first named, PI. II, Fig. 1 a, b, c, the 
original plant persists as a small disk, a short stalk, and the base 
or remnant of lamina, all else having disappeared, either by wave 
action or by some other cause, Fig. la. It is horny, dull brown, 
about 3 cms. wide and cm. high. From this proceed almost sessile 
or shortly stalked wedge-shaped, ribbon-shaped, or irregular fronds 
measuring 15-43 cs. in length and 2-4^ cs. in width. The ends are 
much broken. Their substance is coriaceous, deep brownish red 
with wrinkled, and finely pitted surfaces, owing perhaps to the 
formation and escape of tetraspores, Fig. lb. Upon these fronds 
are born, yet further shortly stalked laminae, some of which are 
ovate and entire, others cuneate or strap-shaped, bifid and emarg- 
inate. These latter developments are thin, becoming pale and 
transparent towards the extremities, the bases dark red, Fig. lc. 
In the Batters collection at the Natural History Museum there is 
a striking example of this form of growth which, it is worthy of 
note, is not placed among the specimens of var. marginifera. 
Another plant of Rhodymenia palmata shows the surface 
covered with proliferations curiously thick in texture and of a pale 
red. They are easily detached and give the impression of being 
young plants. The frond is old and is shaded from yellowish red 
to dull yellow. The new growths on the margins are much larger 
than those on the surface and are deeply indented. 
It is known that tetraspores can germinate and grow while 
still embedded in the parent plant, but the proliferations des¬ 
cribed above can hardly have arisen in such a manner as they 
are of various sizes and stages of developement. 
A curious instance occurs in a specimen of Nitopliyllum litter - 
atum , which consists of two fronds, old and strongly veined. Both are 
thickly ringed with new growths, mostly wedge-shaped, some quite 
small, others larger than the primary plant, PI. II, Fig, 1 a,b. 
Another plant of the same species gathered from an exposed 
situation is more of an extreme case, somewhat resembling the 
succession of growths observed in Rhodymenia palmata. There is 
x A. & S. Gepp. Journ. Bot. 1906, 
