Polysiphonia ramentacea Harv.

• Region

  North America

• Country

  United States of America

• State/Province

  Florida

• County/Municipio

  Monroe Co.

• City/Township

  Key West

• Locality

  on corals etc.

• Coordinates

  24.5591, -81.7816

• Coordinate Uncertainty (m)

  3481.57

• Georeferencing Method

  Georeferencing Quick Reference Guide, Version 2012. Located coordinates of geogr. center of Key West. Measured from coord. to farthest extent of the city to find linear extent (3470 m). Used MaNIS Georef. Calculator to find uncertainty (Bounded Area).

• Geodetic Datum

  WGS84

• Distribution

  Map all specimens of this taxon

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Polysiphonia ramentacea Harv. Her. Bor.-Am. 2: 42. pi. 18 G. 1853-

Stem robust, dendroid, inarticulate, internally four-tubed, irre-
gularly much branched; branches spreading on all sides, alternately divided;
lesser branches rod-like, simple, set throughout with numerous, short,
setaceous, spine-like, simple or forked, articulate ramuli; internodes of
the ramuli shorter than their breadth, marked with two or three quadrate
cells; conceptacles ovate, borne near the tips of the ramuli (Tab. XVI. A.)

Hab. On corals, &c. Key West, W. H. H., Dr. Blodgett, (v.v.)

Root discoid. Stem solitary, four or five inches high, twice or
thrice as thick as hog's bristle, gradually attenuated upwards, soon fork-
ing, and afterwards repeatedly divided in an irregularly alternate manner,
the whole system of branches forming a tree-like frond. The larger bran-
ches spread towards every side, and are furnished with numerous lateral,
secondary branches, scattered or crowded, and either simple or having an-
other series of similar branches, all tapering to a fine point. The stem
and branches are alike beset, at distances of half a line or less, with
slender, simple or forked, bristle-shaped, quadrifiarous ramuli, a line or
two in length, ^hese ramuli are pellucidly articulate, the articulations
exceedingly short, with sub-quadrate tubes. The stem and branches are
opaque, tessellated with small irregular cells; a transverse section show-
ing four primary tubes, with an external coating of greater or less thick-
ness formed of small cells. Conceptacles ovate, small, sessile near the
tips of the ramuli. Antheridia ovato-lanceolate, densely tufted at the api-
ces of the ramuli. Colour a dull reddish brown, darkening in drying. Sub-
stance cartilaginous, but soft. In drying, it adheres pretty closely to
paper.

Of this apparently rare species, I collected only a solitary spe-
cimen during my visit to Key West. It is abundantly unlike any other North
American species, but .nearly allied to P. flexxella of the Mediterranean.

My specimen, however, differs from any that I have seen of P. flexxella; it
recovers better after having been dried, the articulations of the ramuli
are more distinct, and the byssoid fibres far less copious.

Plate XVI. A. Fig. I. Polysiphonia ramentacea; the natural size.
Pig. 2, apex of a branch; fig. 3, portion of a “ramulus; iig. 4, transverse
section of a branch; fig. 5, lateral view of a small portion of the same,
to show the surface cells; the latter figures more or less highly magni-’
fied.

NEW YORK BOTANICAL GARDEN

01474885

01474885