Seaweeds of the South African South Coast
Order Ceramiales
Family Ceramiaceae
Gayliella T.O.Cho, L.J.McIvor & S.M.Boo 2008
Plants epiphytic, with prostrate and erect portions, attached by rhizoids, corticated only at nodes, alternately branched, apices claw-like. Three cortical initials produced per pericentral cell, two directed towards the apex and one towards the base. Corticating rhizoids unicellular, arising from pericentral cells and ending in a digitate tip. Cystocarps near apices, with surrounding involucral branches; tetraporangia single, arising only from pericentral cell; antheridia arising from cortical cells.
Most species of Gayliella were formerly ascribed to Ceramium (C. flaccidum complex), but were separated on molecular and morphological grounds (Cho et al. 2008). The main difference between the genera is that in Gayliella the cortical bands show a clear division between acropetal and basipetal cortication, with the pericentral cells giving off two acropetal and one basipetal derivatives, whereas in Ceramium the cortical bands lack a clear division between acropetal and basipetal cortication, and the pericentral cells usually give off two acropetal and two (or three) basipetal derivatives, although sometimes basipetal cortication is absent.
Key to the species
|
1a. Axes to about 50 μm in diameter, with four pericentral cells |
Gayliella transversalis |
|
1b. Axes to 100 μm or more in diameter, with five or more pericentrals |
2 |
|
2a. Axes to 120 μm in diameter, segments with 5 or 6 pericentrals |
Gayliella dawsonii |
|
2b. Axes to over 200 μm in diameter, segments with 7 (or 8) pericentrals |
Gayliella papenfussiana |
References Gayliella
Cho, T.O., Boo, S.M., Hommersand, M.H., Maggs, C.A., McIvor, L.J. & Fredericq, S. 2008. Gayliella gen. nov. in the tribe Ceramieae (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta) based on molecular and morphological evidence. Journal of Phycology 44: 721-738, 11 figs.
Cite this record as:
Anderson RJ, Stegenga H, Bolton JJ. 2016. Seaweeds of the South African South Coast.
World Wide Web electronic publication, University of Cape Town, http://southafrseaweeds.uct.ac.za; Accessed on 17 April 2024.