Seaweeds of the South African South Coast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Order Ceramiales

Family Callithamniaceae

Heteroptilon pappeanum (Kützing) Hommersand in Hommersand, D.W. Freshwater, J. López-Bautista, & S. Fredericq 2006: 210-214, figs 4-6

Plants solitary, erect, up to ca. 20 cm tall, pinnately branched and complanate, the main axes somewhat compressed. Apical cell of the main axis cutting off segments by oblique septa; laterals one per cell, strictly alternate, determinate and indeterminate branches apparently not formed in a fixed sequence. Determinate laterals simple or with a few ramuli, remaining uncorticated except for a few proximal cells, up to 20 cells long and 50 µm in diameter, tapering towards the apex. Main axis and indeterminate laterals becoming corticated a short distance behind the apices; cortex consisting of short-celled filaments originating from the proximal cells of the laterals; cortex becoming several layers thick, enveloping the proximal cells of the laterals. Tetrasporangia on much-branched determinate laterals in older parts of the plant, terminal or lateral, ovate, up to 75 x 65 µm, tetrahedrally divided. Sexual reproductive structures not seen.

Collections, ecology and regional distribution

Found along the west coast, but just reaching Cape Agulhas (1-22). A subtidal, epilithic species.

World distribution: South African endemic.

Type locality: Cape of Good Hope, South Africa (Silva et al. 1996).

Note: formerly known as Euptilota pappeana Kützing.

 

Heteroptilon pappeanum. 1 Detail of main axis with simple and pinnate laterals (note developing cortication). 2 Tetrasporangia. Reproduced from Stegenga et al. 1997 (as Euptilota pappeana).

 

References Heteroptilon pappeanum

Hommersand, M.H., Freshwater, D.W., Lopez-Bautista, J.M. & Fredericq, S. 2006. Proposal of the Euptiloteae Hommersand et Fredericq, trib. nov. and transfer of some southern hemisphere Ptiloteae to the Callithamnieae (Ceramiaceae, Rhodophyta). Journal of Phycology 42: 203-225.

Silva, P.C., Basson, P.W. & Moe, R.L. 1996. Catalogue of the benthic marine algae of the Indian Ocean. University of California Publications in Botany 79: 1-1259.

Stegenga, H., Bolton, J.J. & R. J. Anderson. 1997. Seaweeds of the South African west coast. Contributions from the Bolus Herbarium 18: 655 pp.

 

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 23 April 2024.