Taxonomic notes on the Halymeniaceae (Gigartinales,Rhodophyta) from Japan. III. Synonymization of Pachymeniopsis Yamada in Kawabata with Grateloupia C. Agardh*

The taxonomic status of the red algal genus Pachymeniopsis (Halymeniaceae) was evaluated based on a morphological study of the type species Pachymeniopsis lanceolata (Okamura) Yamada in Kawabata (=Aeodes lanceolata Okamura). Features used to separate Pachymeniopsis from allied genera such as Aeodes or Grateloupia were found to be inconsistently expressed within even single populations, and P. lanceolata is considered to be best placed in Grateloupia. The two remaining species, P. yendoi and P. elliptica, are judged to be conspecific, with P. elliptica also best placed in Grateloupia. The genus Pachymeniopsis is, therefore, considered synonymous with Grateloupia. The transfer of P. lanceolata to Grateloupia is proposed as Grateloupia lanceolata (Okamura) Kawaguchi, comb. nov. The reinstatement of Grateloupia elliptica Holmes, which includes Pachymeniopsis yendoi as a synonym, is also proposed.     

Cultivation of Grateloupia acuminata (Halymeniaceae,Rhodophyta) by regeneration from cut fragments of basal crusts and upright thalli

Regeneration of Grateloupia acuminata Okamura from fragments of basal crusts and young upright thalli was studied in culture. The carpospores and tetraspores develop into basal crusts and these in turn produce upright thalli. When the crusts and the young upright thalli were cut into fragments, the fragments of basal crusts regenerated into new crusts, whereas those of upright thalli formed adventitious filaments. For cultivation in the sea, the cut fragments of basal crusts were inoculated onto oyster shells and synthetic twines of Nori-net and cultured for about one month in the laboratory. The oyster shells and the twines with regenerated crusts were then transferred into the sea from September to December. Many upright thalli developed and grew well during the cold season of the year (December to March).Author for correspondence     

AN EXAMINATION OF PACHYMENIA AND AEODES (HALYMENIACEAE,RHODOPHYTA) IN NEW ZEALAND AND THE TRANSFER OF TWO SPECIES OF AEODES IN SOUTH AFRICA TO PACHYMENIA1

A phylogenetic study was conducted of species of Halymeniaceae from New Zealand presently placed in Aeodes or Pachymenia, based on maximum‐likelihood (ML), maximum‐parsimony (MP), and Bayesian analyses of rbcL and nuclear internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA sequences. We used molecular and morphological data in combination with exhaustive sampling of herbarium collections to clarify the taxonomy and distributions of New Zealand members of Pachymenia and Aeodes. Our study confirms the presence of three erect species of Pachymenia on the New Zealand mainland, and we resurrect the name Pachymenia dichotoma J. Agardh for the widely distributed, southernmost species. Species of Aeodes from South Africa are shown to be closely related to Pachymenia carnosa (J. Agardh) J. Agardh, the type species of Pachymenia, and are accordingly transferred to Pachymenia.