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74
THE MARINE ALGÆ OF NEW ENGLAND.
judged from the figure, is the same as E. Farlowii. Although in the present instance we have considered
E. Farlowii to be a variety of E. littoralis, it must be admitted that it differs considerably from the form
of E. littoralis common on the coast of France and England. Our reason for not considering it distinct is
that we have large sets of specimens in which we have been unable to say with certainty whether they
should be referred to E. littoralis or E. Farlowii, and with so many connecting links it seems best to
regard E. Farlowii as an extreme form found in northern localities. Should the variety be eventually
considered distinct the name of E. anticostiensis should be adopted, as no description of E. Farlowii has
been published, and the species would be characterized by the robustness of the filaments and by the
unilocular sporangia, which are broader than long, and borne in short, stout, patent branches. It is of
frequent occurrence that some of the unilocular sporangia are binate. The plurilocular sporangia are
common in spring and early summer, and the unilocular in the autumn.
E. BRACHIATUS, Harv.
“Finely-tufted, feathery, much branched; the branches free, opposite or quarternate;
ramuli opposite, very patent; propagula forming oblong or elliptical swellings in the
smaller branches, or at the point where two opposite ramuli issue.” (Harv., Ner. Am.
Bor., Vol. I, p. 138.)
South Boston, Lynn, Mass., Harvey.
We have never found this species, which is only known on our coast from Harvey’s description. Le Jolis
considers that the E. brachiatus of the Phyc. Brit., Pl. 4, is not the true Conferva brachiata, Engl. Bot.,
and he gives to the former the name of E. Griffithsianus. Never having seen American specimens, we
cannot tell whether the American form mentioned by Harvey belongs to the E. Griffithsianus or not.
SUBGENUS CAPSICARPELLA, Kjellman.
Filaments erect, monosiphonous or in part polysiphonous; unilocular sporangia
partly immersed in the frond; plurilocular sporangia formed by direct
transformation of the cells of the branches.
E. SPHÆROPHORUS, Harv., Phyc. Brit., Pl. 126. (Capsicarpella sphærophora,
Kjellman, Bidrag, p. 20, Pl. 1, Fig. 2.)
Filaments one to three inches long, tufted, densely branching; main branches
opposite or whorled, often polysiphonous; secondary branches opposite or alternate,
monosiphonous; unilocular sporangia spherical, about .04 mm in diameter, solitary,
often binate, sometimes whorled, the cell from which the sporangia are formed
dividing into at least three cells; plurilocular sporangia?
On Ptilota elegans. May.
Nahant, Mr. Collins; Europe.
A rare species which has only been collected by Mr. Collins, The main filaments are at intervals
polysiphonous, and remind one of a Sphacelaria. In Mr. Collins’s specimens the sporangia were
numerous and in some cases whorled, as is occasionally seen in European specimens. The species is to
be sought in spring and early summer, and may be commoner than is now supposed, having escaped
the observation of collectors on account of its small size.