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 SARCOTRICHIA Womersley & Shepley 1959: 209.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Family Sarcomeniaceae

Thallus moderately branched, with flat linear branches tapering to narrow apices, branches arising endogenously, becoming corticate and terete below, with long monosiphonous filaments in 2 or 4 rows; holdfast branched. Structure. Apical cells hemispherical to slightly elongate, axial cells cutting off an abaxial pericentral cell, then 2 lateral pericentral cells and last the adaxial pericentral cell, with the lateral cells each forming 2 flanking cells, thus forming flat blades. The upper flanking cells, and in S. tenera the transverse pericentral cells, produce long, slender, monosiphonous filaments in 2 or 4 rows, these being relatively persistent but lost from older corticated branches. Cells uni- to multinucleate.

Reproduction: Gametophytes dioecious. Procarps arising on the adaxial pericentral cells, with 2 sterile cells and a 4-celled carpogonial branch. Carposporophytes with an erect fusion cell and branched gonimoblast filaments with terminal carposporangia. Cystocarps ovoid, pedicellate; pericarp ostiolate, of erect filaments with each cell cutting off 2 cells outwardly, thus 2 cells thick. Spermatangial blades elongate-ovoid with sterile bases and an apical row, with spermatangia derived from the lateral pericentral cells, the flanking cells and transverse pericentral cells remaining sterile.

Tetrasporangial stichidia with the lateral pericentral cells each cutting off a tetrasporangium and 2 cover cells, the flanking cells becoming curved and protective.

Type species: S. tenera (Harvey) Womersley & Shepley 1959: 209.

Taxonomic notes: The genus includes 2 species on southern Australian coasts, differing in the number of rows of the slender monosiphonous filaments.

References:

WOMERSLEY, H.B.S. & SHEPLEY, E.A. (1959). Studies on the Sarcomenia group of the Rhodophyta. Aust. J. Bot. 7, 168–223.

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 SPECIES OF SARCOTRICHIA

1. Monosiphonous filaments in 4 rows, formed by the flanking cells and the transverse pericentral cells

S. tenera

1. Monosiphonous filaments in 2 rows, formed only by the flanking cells

S. dolichocystidea


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