Carpospores of Bonnemaisonia nootkana (Esper) Silva give rise on germination to a minute, filamentous, red alga with features characteristic of Trailliella intricata Batters. The following conclusions may be drawn from this study: 1) the life cycle of B. nootkana is of the Asparagopsis-type; 2) the alga reported from Friday Harbor, Washington, by Kylin under the name T. intricata probably is the tetrasporophyte in the life cycle of B. nootkana, while the one reported under the same name from southern California and Pacific Mexico probably is the tetrasporophyte of B. hamifera Harlot; 3) the manner of branching is not a valid character in separating Asparagopsis from Bonnemaisonia, as shown by a comparison of B. hamifera and B. nootkana, which agree in the form of the tetrasporophyte as well as in the morphology of the cystocarp, but differ in the manner of branching.
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Mitsuo Chihara (1965) studied this question.