A synopsis of the Characeae'

36 BULLETIN OF THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB[ Vol.. 91intended to reveal the system of classification, and is not designed as a toolfor identification. Both synopses of the present type and analytical keysappear in the forthcoming "Revision."The concept of the species has plagued phycologists for years. Oneanswer, that of continued finer subdivision into even smaller and smallerspecies, has been carried to extreme in various groups. It has caused extensiveproliferation of taxa in the Characeae. Another alternative, one employedon a limited scale by both Alexander Braun (1834: 355; 1867: 907;e.g., C. foetida) and Groves and Groves (1911, e.g., C. zeylanica), is thatof using broad species. Nordstedt (1882: 13) cited these as "sensu latissime"taxa. The present author concludes that this is the more realisticconcept, and has employed it throughout his revision. Thus, there are but81 species, rather than the earlier 314 (Wood & Imahori, 1959), includedin the synopsis. More narrowly delimited taxa (species of earlier workers)are assigned to lower ranks. Those which retain some consistency over certainareas are assigned to varieties or, in occasional complex cases whereseveral infraspecific taxa exist, to subspecies; whereas, those which aredistinguishable primarily by single traits or by recombinations of charactersare retained only as forms. The infraspecific taxa are treated in detailin the author's "Revision," but it is anticipated that the need for theformae will not support their retention in the future.The arrangement of the synopsis may be self-evident, but note that (1)Roman numerals head entries for taxa of or above the rank of genus (e.g.,"IA. Tribe I, Chareae") and Arabic numbers head infrageneric taxa (e.g.,"la. subgen. Chara"; or "6a. Chara globularis"). Two numbers immediatelyprecede each taxon name, the first indicating positioh within the nextencompassing category, and the second (in parentheses) indicating sequentialposition for that taxon within the entire synopsis. Distribution is suggestedby the abbreviations in brackets in order and as follows : cosm(cosmopolitan), Eu (Europe), Af (Africa), As (Asia), Aust (Australia),Oc (Pacific Oceania), NA (North and Central America), and SA (SouthAmerica). Certain popular synonyms are included in parentheses after thenew names (Wood, 1962) of higher taxa.IA. Coronula of 5 cells in 1 tier ; coronula large; branchlets undivided, with1-celled laterals (bract-cells) ....................................................... Tribe 1(1) CHAREAEHA. Stipulodes developed (occasionally rudimentary) ; bract-cells normally4-more at a node and including both anteriors and posteriors;branchlet segments 3-more; plant with or without cortication;bulbils unusual, 1-celled, only known in corticated species; coronularcells elongate, narrowing distally ......................... Subtribe I(1) CHARINAEIIIA. With or without cortication; stipulodes in 1-2 tiers, 1-2 (-4)per branehlet (if 1, then alternate—rarely opposite) ; monoeciousor dioecious; conjoined gametangia borne on antheridialstalk, thus with oogonium above antheridium (in dioeciousspecies antheridium replaced by bractlet which subtendsoogonium) ......................................................................... Genus I(1) CHARA