About
Contact
Links
Electronic Flora of South Australia
Electronic Flora of South Australia
Census of SA Plants, Algae & Fungi
Identification tools
 

Electronic Flora of South Australia Genus Fact Sheet

Genus ZOSTEROCARPUS Bornet 1890: 146

Phylum Phaeophyta – Order Ectocarpales

Thallus filamentous, uniseriate, branched, with end cells of branches tapering to a point. Hairs absent. Growth by divisions of apical cells and occasional to frequent intercalary divisions. Cells with numerous small, discoid phaeoplasts without pyrenoids, with abundant physodes and also tannin cells (in the type).

Reproduction: Reproduction involving plurilocular sporangia formed by peripheral divisions of cells of branches, either on one side of or surrounding the branch.

Type species: Z. oedogonium (Meneghini) Bornet 1890: 146, figs 1–5. Feldmann & Feldmann 1947: 85, fig. 3. Sauvageau 1931: 89, fig. 16.

Taxonomic notes: This is a little known genus, previously with only the type species from the Mediterranean, collected in depths of 30–70 m (Funk 1955, p. 45), and Z. abyssicola Taylor (1945, p. 79) from Ecuador. Pedersen (1984, p. 50) places Zosterocarpus in his Pilayellaceae, partly on the basis that longitudinal divisions occur before formation of plurilocular sporangia.

References:

BORNET, E. (1890). Note sur deux algues de la Méditerranée: Fauchea et Zosterocarpus. Bull. Soc. Bot. Fr. 37, 139–148,

FELDMANN, J. & FELDMANN, G. (1947). Additions à la Flore des Algues marines de l'Algerie. Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. Afr. Nord 38, 80–91.

FUNK, G. (1955). Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Meeresalgen von Neapel zugleich mikrophotographischer Atlas. Publ. Staz. Zool. Napoli 25 (suppl.)

PEDERSEN, P.M. (1984). Studies on primitive brown algae (Fucophyceae). Opera Bot. 74, 1–76.

SAUVAGEAU, C. (1931). Sur quelques Algues phéosporées de la rade de Villefranche (Alpes-Maritimes). Bull. Stn biol. Arcachon 28, 7–168.

TAYLOR, W.R. (1945). Pacific marine algae of the Allan Hancock Expeditions to the Galapagos Islands. Allan Hancock Pacific Expeditions 12, 1–528.

The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part II complete list of references.

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


Disclaimer Copyright Disclaimer Copyright Email Contact:
State Herbarium of South Australia
Government of South Australia Government of South Australia Government of South Australia Department for Environment and Water