Seaweeds of the South African South Coast

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Order Ceramiales

Family Wrangeliaceae

Vickersia baccata (J. Agardh) Karsakoff 1896: 285

Plants largely creeping, the apices for about 1-3 mm ascending. Main axis attached by unicellular rhizoids originating from about the middle of the cell, sometimes provided with a digitate hapteron. Main axial cells up to 350 μm long and 100 μm broad, much shorter at the apex and about 15-20 μm broad. Indeterminate laterals arising at intervals of two to several segments. Segments provided with (1-)2(-3) determinate laterals, usually two cells long, but one- and three-celled branches also occur. Branchlets with a cylindrical basal cell but commonly with a much inflated top cell, measuring up to 300 μm long and 200 μm broad. Branchlets on consecutive axial cells roughly decussate.

Sporangia found as the only reproductive structures, a single tetrasporangium sessile on the basal cell of a determinate branchlet, about round and measuring ca. 70 μm in diameter. Occasional octosporangia occur, slightly larger than the tetrasporangia.

Collections, ecology and regional distribution

The only records of this species in South Africa are from Tsitsikamma (subtidal, see Stegenga et al. 2000) and from Leven Point (near Cape Vidal in KwaZulu-Natal, at 11m, on ascidians) (32-56). It appears to be rare, and only found below the low tide level.

World distribution: Its distribution is mainly in the Mediterranean and adjacent North Africa and a number of Atlantic Islands.

Type locality: Azores (Athanasiadis 1996).

 

Vickersia baccata, Leven Point, KwaZulu-Natal. Stained slide.

Vickersia baccata, Leven Point, KwaZulu-Natal. Stained slide.

Vickersia baccata, with tetrasporangia. Leven Point, KwaZulu-Natal. Stained slide.

 

References Vickersia baccata

Athanasiadis, A. 1996. Morphology and classification of the Ceramioideae (Rhodophyta) based on phylogenetic principles. Opera Botanica 127: 1-221.

Karsakoff, N. 1896. Sur deux Floridées nouvelles pour la flore des Canaries. Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Botanique, Série 8 4: 281-288, pl. 3.

Stegenga, H, R.J. Anderson & J.J. Bolton 2000: Notes on Ceramiaceae (Rhodophyta) from the eastern Cape Province, South Africa. III. New records from the Tsitsikamma coastal park, with the description of Scageliopsis tsitsikammae. Blumea 45: 485-494.

 

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 18 November 2024.