On the morphology of Bostrychia tenella (Vahl) J. Agardh

Boergesen (1937) reported Bostrychia tenella (VahI.) J. Ag. from Indian waters. Some details regarding the morphology of the alga are available to some extent by the works of Montagne(1828).Falkenberg (1901). Post (1936). Tseng(1942)and Joly (1954) . The detailed structure of the alga and the development of the reproductive structures are not known completely. Advantage was taken of the occurrence of Bostrychia tenella in the Gulf of Mannar at Mandapam to study the morphology of the species both from living specimans and from material fixed in 4% formalin and forma lin -acetic-alcohol. Suitable preparations were stained in eosine and mounted in glycerine for microscopic examination. Sometimes the material had to be softened by placing in 1 % acetic acid or 1 % lithium chloride solution. While thin sections were used frequantly. most datails could be observed on whole mounts and squashes of suitable pieces of the thallus of the alga.