Taxonomic features of the red alga Meristotheca coacta (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales) |
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Authors: | Etienne Jean Faye Kazuhiro Kogame Satoshi Shimada Shigeo Kawaguchi Michio Masuda |
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Institution: | Division of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan,;Creative Research Initiative 'Sousei', Hokkaido University, Sapporo 001-0021, Japan, and;Division of Animal and Marine Bioresource Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan |
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Abstract: | Vegetative and reproductive structures of the little‐known red alga, Meristotheca coacta Okamura (Solieriaceae, Gigartinales) were described on the basis of specimens collected from three localities in southern Japan, including an island close to the lectotype locality. Meristotheca coacta was shown to be a strongly supported monophyletic clade in our rbcL analyses. The taxonomic features of this species were reassessed. This species is characterized as follows: (i) the thalli consist of relatively thick (300–1400 μm from the uppermost to basal regions), elastic and rose‐red blades; (ii) the blades are irregularly lobed and branched into variously shaped segments with undulate and crispate margins; (iii) tetrasporangial initials are laterally attached to their parental cells and the lateral pit‐connections remain in mature tetrasporangia; (iv) gametophytes are dioecious; (v) carpogonial branches are three‐celled (occasionally two‐ or four‐celled); (vi) a darkly staining auxiliary cell complex is present and recognizable prior to diploidization; and (vii) cystocarps are produced along (or near) the margins of the blades and on the marginal proliferations and lack spinous outgrowths. |
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Keywords: | Meristotheca coacta molecular phylogeny morphology rbcL Rhodophyta Solieriaceae taxonomy |
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