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Electronic Flora of South Australia Family Fact Sheet

Tribe POLYSIPHONIEAE Schmitz 1889: 447

Phylum Rhodophyta – Family Rhodomelaceae

Thallus usually erect, branching radial on all sides (rarely becoming bilateral) with all branches indeterminate or also with lateral determinate branches; apical cells protruding, trichoblasts usually present, colourless (non-rhodoplastic), caducous; trichoblasts and lateral branches usually produced spirally from successive segments.

Reproduction: Gametophytes usually dioecious. Procarps borne on a lower cell of trichoblasts. Spermatangial branches terete, produced as branches of trichoblasts.

Tetrasporangia single (rarely double) per segment in ordinary branches of the thallus, in spiral or straight rows.

Type genus: Polysiphonia Greville 1823: lxvii, 230, nom. cons.

Taxonomic notes: A tribe of about 20 genera (Hommersand 1963, p. 347), of which 7 occur on southern Australian coasts.

References:

GREVILLE, R.K. (1823). Scottish Cryptog. Fl. Vol. 2 (Edinburgh & London.)

HOMMERSAND, M.H. (1963). The morphology and classification of some Ceramiaceae and Rhodomelaceae. Univ. Calif. Pubis. Bot. 35(2), 165–366.

SCHMITZ, F. (1889). Systematische Übersicht der bisher bekannten Gattungen der Florideen. Flora, Jena 72, 435–456, Plate 21.

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

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (24 February, 2003)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Rhodophyta. Part IIID. Ceramiales – Delesseriaceae, Sarcomeniaceae, Rhodomelaceae
Reproduced with permission from The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part IIID 2003, by H.B.S. Womersley. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Copyright Commonwealth of Australia.

KEY TO GENERA OF POLYSIPHONIEAE

1. Lateral branches essentially similar to main branches, not reduced to short determinate laterals

POLYSIPHONIA

1. Lateral branches forming short determinate laterals moderately to densely covering the long indeterminate branches

2

2. Determinate laterals corticate to close to apices

3

2. Determinate laterals ecorticate or slightly corticate

4

3. Thallus with 4 pericentral cells, determinate laterals closely radially arranged, usually simple

LOPHURELLA

3. Thallus with 6 pericentral cells, determinate laterals distant, spirally arranged, more or less complanately and subdichotomously branched with bicornate ends

ALLEYNEA

4. Short determinate laterals radially branched

5

4. Short determinate laterals distichously branched

8

5. Four pericentral cells, indeterminate branches heavily corticated or ecorticate

6

5. Seven or 6–12 pericentral cells, all branches ecorticate

7

6. Indeterminate branches ecorticate

TOLYPIOCLADIA

6. Indeterminate branches heavily corticate

ECHINOTHAMNION

7. Seven pericentral cells, trichoblasts abundant, branched; tetrasporangia single per segment

DIPLOCLADIA

7. Eleven-13 (–15) pericentral cells, trichoblasts rare; tetrasporangia paired per segment

PERRINIA

8. Determinate laterals mostly coupled, the upper compressed and pinnate, alternately distichously branched, with 3–5 branches on each side, each branch bearing a branched, caducous, trichoblast; the lower determinate lateral simple and terete

PITYOPHYCOS

8. Determinate laterals compressed, with 3–4 basal branches, each tapering to a single apical cell, the apex without trichoblasts but sometimes forming a monosiphonous filament

CHIRACANTHIA


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