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Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

15.  ; Cystophora harveyi Womersley sp. nov.

Phylum Phaeophyta – Order Fucales – Family Cystoseiraceae

Thallus (Fig. 143A) dark brown, usually 30 cm-1 m(-2 m) long, with a robust primary axis bearing relatively robust secondary axes and slender, densely branched, laterals. Holdfast discoid-conical, 5–15 mm across, with a single, subterete stipe; epilithic. Primary axes compressed, 4–6 (–8) mm broad below and 2–4 mm thick, lenticular in transverse section with narrower edges, distichously branched at intervals of 2–10 mm with stubby, not retroflex, branch residues; all branches from the face of the axes, attached only to the centre of the face of the parent branch; secondary axes similar to primary axes but 1–3 mm broad. Laterals (Fig. 145D) (1–) 2–5 cm long, lax, alternately distichous to 2 orders, slender, with ultimate ramuli terete, 0.5–1.5 (–2) cm long and 300–500 µm in diameter, lying largely in one plane but often displaced. Vesicles absent.

Reproduction: Thalli monoecious. Receptacles (Fig. 145D) simple, (2–) 3–7 (–12) mm long, with a sterile pedicel and short, sterile, apex, terete to usually slightly compressed, slightly verrucose, 600–800 µm broad. Conceptacles with ostioles essentially in two rows, bisexual, with simple paraphyses; oogonia sessile, ovoid, 100–160 µm long and 65–100 µm in diameter, with a single egg; antheridia on branched paraphyses, elongate-ovoid, 16–30 µm long and 7–14 µm in diameter.

Type from Cape Naturaliste, W. Aust., uppermost sublittoral (Womersley, Clarke & Engler, 2.ix.1979); holotype in ADU, A50628. Isotypes distributed as "Marine Algae of southern Australia" No. 268.


Distribution map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of SA

Distribution: From South Bunker Bay, Geographe Bay, to William Bay, Walpole, W. Aust.

Taxonomic notes: C. harveyi is most closely related to C. brownii and C. tenuis, differing from C. brownii in having longer, laxer, ramuli often displaced from the one plane, and in secondary axes being attached only to the central part of the parent axes. Comparisons with C. tenuis are made under that species.

C. harveyi appears to be restricted to the south-west coast of Western Australia, where it can be the dominant species in the uppermost sublittoral (0–5 m deep) on rough-water coasts between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin.

References: The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part II

Author: H.B.S. Womersley

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (14 December, 1987)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Part II
©Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Government of South Australia


Illustrations in Womersley Part II, 1997: FIGS 143A, 145D.

Figure 143 image

Figure 143   enlarge

Fig. 143. A. Cystophora harveyi (ADU, A50628, holotype). B. Cystophora tenuis (ADU, A50627, holotype).

Figure 145 image

Figure 145   enlarge

Fig. 145. Receptacles of species of Cystophora. A. Cystophora brownii (ADU, A26713). B,C. Cystophora gracilis (ADU, A26725, holotype). D. Cystophora harveyi (ADU, A50628, holotype). E. Cystophora tenuis (ADU, A50627, holotype). F,G. Cystophora retorta (ADU, A26877). F. Secondary and tertiary axes and laterals. G. Receptacles. H. Cystophora siliquosa (ADU, A2812).


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