CHARACTERIZATION OF SCHIZOSERIS CONDENSATA,SCHIZOSERIDEAE TRIB. NOV. (DELESSERIACEAE,RHODOPHYTA)1

The Myriogramme group of Kylin contains two distinct clusters of genera that merit recognition at the tribal level. We previously established the tribe Myriogrammeae, and in this paper we erect the Schizoserideae based on a study of the type species of Schizoseris, S. laciniata (=S. condensata), from the southern hemisphere. The Schizoserideae is characterized by 1) marginal and diffuse intercalary meristems; 2) nuclei initially arranged in a plate in the median plane in meristematic and mature cells; 3) chloroplasts one to few, lobed or dissected; 4) microscopic veins absent; 5) procarps scattered, formed singly on either side of the blade with cover cells absent and consisting of a one- to two-celled lateral sterile group, a one- to two-celled basal sterile group, and a four-celled carpogonial branch in which the trichogyne passes beneath the lateral sterile group and emerges anterior to it; 6) auxiliary cell diploidized by a connecting cell cut off posteriolaterally from the fertilized carpogonium; 7) gonimoblast initial cut off laterally from one side of the auxiliary cell and giving rise to unilaterally branched gonimoblast filaments bearing carposporangia in branched chains; 8) gonimoblast fusion cell highly branched, candelabra-like, incorporating all but the basalmost cells of the carposporangial chains and radiating through the central cells in the floor of the cystocarp; 9) spermatangial and tetrasporangial sori formed from surface cells in both monostromatic and polystromatic portions on both sides of the blade; and 10) tetrasporangia formed primarily from cortical rather than from central cells. The Schizoserideae presently includes Schizoseris Kylin, Neuroglossum Kützing, Abroteia J. Agardh, and Polycoryne Skottsberg in Kylin and Skottsberg.