36 BULLETIN OF THE TORREY BOTANICAL CLUB[ Vol.. 91intended to reveal <strong>the</strong> system <strong>of</strong> classification, and is not designed as a toolfor identification. Both synopses <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> present type and analytical keysappear in <strong>the</strong> forthcoming "Revision."The concept <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> species has plagued phycologists for years. Oneanswer, that <strong>of</strong> continued finer subdivision into even smaller and smallerspecies, has been carried to extreme in various groups. It has caused extensiveproliferation <strong>of</strong> taxa in <strong>the</strong> Characeae. Ano<strong>the</strong>r 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 that<strong>of</strong> using broad species. Nordstedt (1882: 13) cited <strong>the</strong>se as "sensu latissime"taxa. The present author concludes that this is <strong>the</strong> more realisticconcept, and has employed it throughout his revision. Thus, <strong>the</strong>re are but81 species, ra<strong>the</strong>r than <strong>the</strong> earlier 314 (Wood & Imahori, 1959), includedin <strong>the</strong> <strong>synopsis</strong>. More narrowly delimited taxa (species <strong>of</strong> 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 <strong>of</strong> charactersare retained only as forms. The infraspecific taxa are treated in detailin <strong>the</strong> author's "Revision," but it is anticipated that <strong>the</strong> need for <strong>the</strong>formae will not support <strong>the</strong>ir retention in <strong>the</strong> future.The arrangement <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>synopsis</strong> may be self-evident, but note that (1)Roman numerals head entries for taxa <strong>of</strong> or above <strong>the</strong> rank <strong>of</strong> 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, <strong>the</strong> first indicating positioh within <strong>the</strong> nextencompassing category, and <strong>the</strong> second (in paren<strong>the</strong>ses) indicating sequentialposition for that taxon within <strong>the</strong> entire <strong>synopsis</strong>. Distribution is suggestedby <strong>the</strong> 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 paren<strong>the</strong>ses after <strong>the</strong>new names (Wood, 1962) <strong>of</strong> higher taxa.IA. Coronula <strong>of</strong> 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, <strong>the</strong>n alternate—rarely opposite) ; monoeciousor dioecious; conjoined gametangia borne on an<strong>the</strong>ridialstalk, thus with oogonium above an<strong>the</strong>ridium (in dioeciousspecies an<strong>the</strong>ridium replaced by bractlet which subtendsoogonium) ......................................................................... Genus I(1) CHARA
1964] WOOD: A SYNOPSIS OF THE CHARACEAE 37la. Stipulodes essentially in 2 tiers, one or both <strong>of</strong> which may bereduced .................................. Subgen. 1(1) CHARA (Diplostephanae)2a. Axial cortex essentially 2-corticate ............................................................................................ Sect. 1(1) CHARA (DiplOStiChae)3a. Spine-cells solitary or rarely geminate ... Subsect. 1(1) CHARA4a. Robust; axis 1000-2200 p. in diameter; bract-cellsverticillate, inflated; an<strong>the</strong>ridia 640-1425 12in diameter; mature oospore 760-900 IAlong; generally dioeeious .............................................................. 1(1) Chara tomentosa [Eu, Af, As]4b. More slender; axes 200-1100 p, in diameter;bract-cells generally unilateral, slender (orovoid when small) ; an<strong>the</strong>ridia to 600 (-800)p, in diameter; mature oospores 360-780p. long ............................. 2(2) Chara vulgaris [cosm][C. pseudohydropitys [As] has naked basalbranchlet cell—see 10b.]3b. Spine-cells predominantly fasciculate, rarely solitaryor geminate; monoecious ........ Subsect. 2(2) HARTMANIA.......................................... 1(3) Chara hispida [Eu, Af, As][3e. Four taxa which may be difficult to place include <strong>the</strong>ecorticated form <strong>of</strong> C. socotrensis f. nuda [As],two with imperfect cortication C. vulgaris var.denudata [Eu, Af, As] and var. invert ecta[Eu, Af, As], and one 2-cortieated taxon inwhich <strong>the</strong> cortex resembles a 3-corticated onein appearance, C. globularis f. Capensis [Af].]2b. Axial cortex essentially 1-corticate (occasionally secondariespartly developed) ............................. Sect. 2(2) DESVAUXIA..................................... 1(4) Chara eaneseens [Eu, Af, As, NA][Taxa with imperfect cortex belonging elsewhereinclude C. vulgaris vars. inconnexa, denudata, andimperfeeta (4b), and C. tomentosa var. disjuneta(4a).]2e. Axial cortex essentially 3-corticate .................................................................................... Sect. 3(3) GROVESIA ( Triplostichae)5a. Phloeopodous (i.e., cortex <strong>of</strong> basal branchlet segmentnormal) ...........................................................................Subsect. 1(3) GROVESIA (Phloeopodes; Phloeobasalia)6a. Bract-cells small to fairly large, rarely as long asbranchlet segments, slender; axes to 1000 p,in diameter .................... 1(5) Chara globularis [cosra]6b. Bract-cells large, c. 1 1 / 2 times as long as branchletsegments, stout; axes c. 1500 1.1, indiameter .................................. 2(6) Chara globata [As]5b. Cortex <strong>of</strong> basal branchlet segment present, but distinctivelydiscolored or diaphanous....................................................... Subsect. 2(4) KuErziNotik....................................................... 1(7) Chara setosa [Af, As]5e. Gymnopodous (i.e., cortex absent on basal branchletsegment) .............................................................. Subsect.3(5) WILLDENOWIA (Gymnopodes; Gymnobasalia). . . 1(8) Chara zeylanica [Af, As, Aust, 0e,NA, SA] [C. pseudohydropitys [As] has 2-corticatedaxis, see 10b.]lb. Stipnlodes essentially in 1 tier .................................................................................................. Subgen. 2(2) CHAaorsis (TIaplostephanae)