Page:The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage.djvu/512

476 margine lacinulis brevissimis truncatis quadratis alternis ornato, axillis rotundatis : — R. Lambertce forma similis, sed substantia differt.

Var. p. atro-sangu'mea ; fronde substipitata atro-sanguinea palmato-fissa, laciniis obtusis erectis sub-dichotome v. alterne divisis margine proliferis, axillis rotundatis. Color luridior quam in var. a.

Var. y. latissima ; fronde 10 unc. longa ad pedalem, laciniis parum divisis apice truncatis 1-4 unc. latis. Varietas a caeteris valde diversa, sed certe nil nisi forma gigantea.

Var. 8. lacerata ; inter varietates a et /3 media : — frons subsessilis divisa.

Var. f. prolifera ; fronde li-2 unc. longa subdichotoma, laciniarum marginibus proliferis lacinulas numerosas angustissimas furcatas v. irregulariter ramulosas acutas emittentibus.

Var. C pulcherrvma ; laciniis angustis decomposito-ramosis, pinnulis ultimis elongatis emarginatis.

Hab. Hermite Island, Cape Horn ; var. a. Falkland Islands ; var. a. /3. (on the outer sea-coast) and (. (in Berkeley Sound) Kerguelen's Land ; vars. a. y. &. and f. All very abundant in Christmas Harbour.

A more variable species can scarcely be imagined : so dissimilar are its forms that the more distinct of them were unhesitatingly pronounced to be different species, before the whole suites of specimens were collated. In Kerguelen's Land it is one of the most common of Alga ; and the varieties, collected there and noted as belonging to the one species, are connected by various links with one another, and with the forms of Cape Horn, the Falkland Islands, and of the American coast. The dark coloured variety, 0. atro-sanguinea, is evidently sea-beaten, and though generally destitute of the marginal tooth-like lacinise, so conspicuous in a, there are specimens possessing them, which connect the two forms. The var. y. latissima is the best marked, more, perhaps, by its great size than by its presenting any positive characters : it was gathered along with a and 8, and referred when fresh to the same species. In the Falkland Islands the var. f. is conspicuous for having few, and but sparingly divided principal segments, about mch wide, suddenly passing into narrow much-divided minor segments from i— 1 line broad. Though at first sight abundantly distinct from 0. or y., it is immediately connected with them both through var. a.

We follow Endlicher in quoting Suhr's figure of R. glaphgra as a synonym of this species : the representation is, however, anything but characteristic of an Alga.

7. Rhodymenia variolosa, Hook. fil. etHarv. ; fronde carnoso-membranacea sanguinea in lacinias plures late lineares v. civneatas elongatas furcatas dichotomasve ad basin fere divisa, laciniis basi angustatis erectis apice obtusis emarginatisve, coccidiis? superficialibus densissime conspersis sessilibus pedicella- tisve deciduis. Nobis in Lond. Journ. Bot. vol. iv. p. 259. (Tab. CLXXX.)

Hab. Christmas Harbour ; Kerguelen's Land.

Irons 2-3 v. 7-8 unc. longa, ad basin fere in lacinias fissa. Lacinia - unc. latse, e basi angustata sensim latiores, furcatae, bis terve dichotome divisa?, sinubus latis obtusis, margine integerrimo v. parce prolifero, super subterque corporibus granuliferis (coccidia ?) sparsa?. Coccidia ? (in genere abnormalia) superficialia, subglobosa, ba9i angusta frondis affixa, cito deeidua.

Allied to the R. variegata, especially in form, but of a firmer texture and brighter colour ; and very different in the nature of the fructification, which is easily detached, leaving only a small puncture on the surface of the lacinise: this constitutes the peculiar character of the species. In the structure and form of the frond there is some affinity with the Oraeilaria polycarpa of the south of England and California; but the fruit of that plant is quite different.