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504 University of California Publications in Botany [Vol. s
assimilating filaments briefly tapering near the base, and long and
gradual tapering above, variable in size, 20-70/*, mostly 40-50/*, diam.
not ending in a hair; cells ().f>-2 times as long, cell wall thick; chro-
matophores in actively growing cells a network extending throughout
the cell, later becoming granular; zoosporangia narrowly cuneate,
rounded above. 90-110/* long, 22-26/* diam., 200 or more spores escap-
ing at the apex in a utricle; gametangia unknown.
Growing on different species of Fucus in the lower littoral belt.
Sitka. Alaska, to central Oregon (Coos Bay).
Areschoug, w? Linnaea, vol. 16, 1842, p. 235, pi. 8, figs. 6, 7.
Conferva fucicola Yelley, Mar. PI, 1795, no. 1.
This species was first reported as being in our region by Ruprecht
in 1851 (p. 389) from Sitka. No subsequent report of its having been
collected had come to us until one of us (Gardner) collected it in 1!)17
at the same station.
There seems to be some question as to the exact limits of Elachistea
fucicola, but it has appeared most reasonable to us to adopt, as typical,
the plant figured by Kuetzing in the Tabulae Phycologicae (vol. 7,
pi. '.)y)). We find plants within our territory corresponding in general
to Kuetzing 's figure and epiphytic on species of Fucus. The free
filaments are long attenuate at both the tip and the base. They vary
decidedly in diameter and in length and breadth of cells even in the
same individual, and the paraphyses are decidedly curved and de-
cidedly moniliform, with the uppermost cells usually as long as, or
longer than, broad. Our plants agree fairly well, also, with no. 417 of
the Phykotheka Universalis collected at Warnemunde on the north
coast of Germany by Heiden. Our figure (plate 38, figs. 33-35) gives
the essential characteristics of structure. Elachistea fucicola is usually,
at least, more olivaceous than E. luorica and all parts of the plants are
firmer and collapse less on drying than do those of E. lubrica, Thus
far we have detected E. fucicola only on species of Fucus.
2. Elachistea lubrica Rupr.
Thallus usually forming distinctly separate tufts, 3 mm.—2 cm.
(9-11 mm. Rupr.) high, lubricous; mass of paraphyses relatively
small and loosely intertwined ; hairs absent ; erect free filaments
abruptly attenuated at the base, and gradually attenuated above the
center, 18-22/* diam. at the base, 38-48/* in the widest part, tapering
to 9/i or less at the apex ;
cells of erect filaments cylindrical to slightly