A taxonomic revision of a Hypnea charoides-valentiae complex (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) in Japan, with a description of Hypnea flexicaulis sp. nov.

Morphology of a Hypnea charoides‐valentiae complex (Rhodophyta, Gigartinales) in Japan is investigated on the basis of field‐collected and cultured plants. We can recognize two species, Hypnea charoides Lamouroux and H. flexicaulis Yamagishi et Masuda, sp. nov., which are distinguished by: (i) conspicuous percurrent main axes growing straight in the former versus less conspicuous percurrent main axes growing flexuosely in the latter; (ii) narrow branching angles (less than 90°) in the former versus wide branching angles (up to 150°) in the latter; (iii) the presence of branches and branchlets showing abrupt adaxial bending in the former versus those showing pronounced abaxial bending, some growing into hooked branchlets in the latter; and (iv) the absence (in the former) or presence (in the latter) of antler‐like branches. Nucleotide sequences of the plastid‐encoded large subunit of the ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase gene (rbcL) support the differentiation of these two entities: the pairwise distance between them was 83 b.p. (6.2%).     

CARRAGEENANS FROM AUSTRALIAN REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FAMILY CYSTOCLONIACEAE (GIGARTINALES, RHODOPHYTA), WITH DESCRIPTION OF CALLIBLEPHARIS CELATOSPORA SP. NOV., AND TRANSFER OF AUSTROCLONIUM TO THE FAMILY ARESCHOUGIACEAE

Ten Australian representatives from seven of the 10 genera presently constituting the family Cystocloniaceae have been analyzed for their cell-wall galactans. Included in our survey are the monotypic Australian-endemic genera Austroclonium , Gloiophyllis , Erythronaema , and Stictosporum , one species of Craspedocarpus , three species of Rhodophyllis , and two species of Calliblepharis . As one of the species of the latter genus is endemic to Western Australia and presently undescribed, we illustrate its habit and anatomical features in formally proposing to name it Calliblepharis celatospora Kraft, sp. nov. All the species surveyed essentially produce typical iota (ι)-carrageenans, with the exception of Austroclonium . The sulfated galactans from Austroclonium predominantly contain the repeating units of ι-, alpha (α)-, and 6'-O-methylated ι- and α-carrageenans; whether these exist as discrete polysaccharides or a complex hybrid structure was not resolved. Thus, Austroclonium carrageenans resemble the polysaccharides from Rhabdonia , Areschougia , and Erythroclonium . Although these latter three genera are currently included in the large gigartinalean family Solieriaceae, all produce significantly different carrageenans from Solieria itself and related genera such as Eucheuma , Kappaphycus , Betaphycus , Sarcodiotheca , Agardhiella , Sarconema , and Callophycus . In consideration of these findings, as well as of significant anatomical similarities, we provisionally recommend reestablishment of the family Rhabdoniaceae Kylin (as the family Areschougiaceae J. Agardh) for Rhabdonia , Areschougia , Erythroclonium , and Austroclonium.