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Electronic Flora of South Australia Genus Fact Sheet

Genus TIPARRARIA Womersley, gen. nov.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Family Rhodomelaceae – Tribe Herposiphonieae

Thallus with basal attached axes but largely free from the host, prostrate axes usually bearing from successive segments a long, branched, indeterminate lateral, a short, slightly-developed, branched lateral, and no lateral on 1 (–3) segments, this sequence then repeated; erect indeterminate laterals bearing usually 2 branches from successive segments separated by 1–8 unbranched segments. Erect laterals bearing trichoblasts. Attachment by rhizoids. Structure. Pericentral cells (9–) 11–13, ecorticate. Rhizoids cut off from pericentral cells, unicellular with digitate haptera. Cells multinucleate.

Reproduction: Gametophytes dioecious. Carposporophytes with a basal fusion cell and gonimoblast bearing clavate terminal carposporangia; Cystocarps ovoid, pericarp ostiolate, ecorticate. Spermatangial organs on trichoblasts, with an apical sterile filament.

Tetrasporangia in branches of erect laterals, single per segment.

Type species: T. aurata (Harvey) Womersley.

Taxonomic notes: Tiparraria is distinguished by the branching sequence of prostrate and erect indeterminate laterals. It is particularly common around Tiparra Reef, South Australia, and is named from this locality.

Some species from other regions, presently retained in Herposiphonia (e.g. Abbott 1999), may be more related to Tiparraria.

References:

ABBOTT, I.A. (1999). Marine Red Algae of the Hawaiian Islands. (Bishop Museum Press: Honolulu, Hawai'i.)

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.


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