The present blue-green alga appeared on the scum of enrichment cultures of soils collected from the paddy fields of Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh (India) . The alga appeared as blue-green patches among other blue-green algae . It was isolated in unialgal culture by teasing a patch under stereoscopic binocular microscope and by washing in sterilized tap-water and inoculating single cells on agar slants prepared by adding 1 .5% agar to DE's (1939) medium. After ten days, the algal-growth was re-examined and on being found unialgal, was subcultured in culture-tubes, provided with the medium mentioned above and in sterilized soil-water media (after PRINGSHEIM 1945). The alga grew luxuriantly in liquid as well as on solid media and was especially interesting since it showed the different growth stages recorded by BRAND (1900) from Germany in Gloeocapsa alpina NAEG . The given description is based on a study of these cultures .
In the following account, various growth stages of the new form along with the measurements and descriptions have been given in some detail .
1. Status pallidus (Figs . 1and2)
The thallus is large, expanded and the cells are embedded in an amorphous, colourless, thin and mucilaginous sheet . Many of the cells undergo division within the colony to form sub-colonies . On the basis of the thickness of sheath and the formation of colonies, status pallidus can be distinguished into two sub-stages ;