Seaweeds of the South African South Coast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Order Ceramiales

Family Spyridiaceae

Spyridia hypnoides (Bory) Papenfuss 1968: 281

Plants a few to 15 cm tall, branched frequently, with indeterminate laterals at short intervals. Indeterminate laterals and main axis with about 15 pericentrals, very soon covered with a secondary cortex, reaching a diameter of about 2 mm. Each segment with a straight determinate lateral up to ca. 800 µm long, 250 µm in diameter at the base, gradually tapering to the apex, consisting of up to 10-15 segments. Determinate laterals with a straight terminal spine and 1-4 subterminal, somewhat recurved spines. Cortication of determinate laterals (almost) complete, extending both in acropetal and basipetal direction. Tetrasporangia on proximal segments of determinate laterals, sessile on the central cells and completely exposed, measuring up to 60 µm across, tetrahedrally divided. Other reproductive structures not seen.

Collections, ecology and regional distribution

On the south coast only seen in Transkei, also found along the whole of the KwaZulu-Natal coast (43-58). Common in intertidal rock pools (De Clerck at al. 2005).

World distribution: Widespread in tropical to subtropical areas.

Type locality: Tamil Nadu, India (Silva et al. 1996).

 

Spyridia hypnoides, Mkambathi.

Spyridia hypnoides, apex with tetrasporangia, Mkambathi (stained slide).

Spyridia hypnoides, detail of apex with tetrasporangia, Mkambathi (stained slide).

Spyridia hypnoides, thallus apex. (Mzamba, stained slide).

Spyridia hypnoides, determinate laterals showing terminal spine and subterminal spines. (Mzamba, stained slide).

Spyridia hypnoides, part of thallus.

 

References Spyridia hypnoides

De Clerck, O, Tronchin, E. M., Schils, T. 2005. Red algae. In: De Clerck, O., J.J. Bolton, R. J. Anderson and E. Coppejans, 2005. Guide to the Seaweeds of Kwazulu-Natal. National Botanic Garden of Belgium, Brussels (Scripta Botanica Belgica), pp. 130-269.

Papenfuss, G.F. 1968. Notes on South African marine algae. V. Journal of South African Botany 34: 267-287.

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.

 

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 19 December 2024.