Seaweeds of the South African South Coast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Order Ceramiales

Family Rhodomelaceae

Lophosiponia reptabunda (Suhr) Kylin 1956: 539

Plants forming turfs up to 2 mm tall, comprising intertwined prostrate axes and abundant erect axes, all with 10-19 pericentral cells. Prostrate axes with prominent apical cells and down-curving at tips, 70-150 µm in diameter, segments 0.8-1.0 times as long as broad; frequently irregularly branched, branching usually oppositely dorso-lateral. Rhizoids frequent, often arising in pairs on same segment, from mid- posterior regions of pericentral cells, with discoid or digitate attachment pads. Erect axes distally curved forward, usually up to 50 segments long before bearing secund branches or trichoblasts; 70-100 µm in diameter, segments 0.7 – 1.0 times as long as broad. Tetrasporangia ca 70 µm in diameter, in rectilinear or spiral series in erect branches that may branch in up to four orders, 2 cover cells per sporangium. Cystocarps abaxial, globose, 250-300 µm in diameter.

Collections, ecology and regional distribution

Recorded from just west of Stilbaai to the Durban area (25-51). A component of lower eulittoral and shallow sublittoral turfs.

World distribution: Widespread in warm temperate and tropical seas (Guiry & Guiry, 2011).

Type locality: Biarritz, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France (Silva et al., 1996).

 

Lophosiphonia reptabunda, vegetative thallus.

Lophosiphonia reptabunda, vegetative thallus ca 2.5 mm tall (slide material).

Lophosiphonia reptabunda, prostrate axis with dorsal and ventral rhizoids.

Lophosiphonia reptabunda, detail of branch.

Lophosiphonia reptabunda, junction of prostrate axis and young branch, with ventral rhizoid.

 

References Lophosiphonia reptabunda

Guiry, M.D. & Guiry, G.M. 2011. AlgaeBase. World-wide electronic publication, National University of Ireland, Galway. http://www.algaebase.org; searched on 01 June 2011.

Kylin, H. 1956. Die Gattungen der Rhodophyceen. pp. i-xv, 1-673, 458 figs. Lund: C.W.K. Gleerups.

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 25 April 2024.