Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Cladophoropsis magna Womersley 1955: 390, fig. 7; 1956: 377.

Phylum Chlorophyta – Order Cladophorales – Family Cladophoraceae

Thallus (Fig. 58C) light to medium green, forming large and fairly loose filamentous masses up to 50 cm across and 7 cm thick, with lower filaments entangled and upper filaments mostly erect. Filaments (Fig. 59D) (400–) 500–700 µm in diameter where branches (often clustered) arise, with one (rarely two) laterals from each cell (L/B mostly (2–) 3–5), upper and lateral branches 170–350 µm in diameter in their lower parts and increasing to near their apices (500–700 µm in diameter); cross walls infrequent, cells usually very long above; descending rhizoids not observed; wall (6–) 10–15 µm thick; chloroplast reticulate, with numerous pyrenoids.

Type from Smoky Bay, Eyre Pen., S. Aust.; in ADU, A13651-"Marine Algae of southern Australia" No. 4.

Distribution map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of SA

Distribution: Only known from the type and from nearby Denial Bay, S. Aust. (in MEL, 3011). The type was a large mass in the drift and probably came from the sublittoral zone.

Taxonomic notes: C. magna, though known from only one main collection, appears distinct in habit and dimensions from other species. Rhizoids are not apparent in the type collection but may well occur on the lowermost filaments.

References:

WOMERSLEY, H.B.S. (1955). New marine Chlorophyta from southern Australia. Pacif. Sci. 9, 387–395.

WOMERSLEY, H.B.S. (1956). A critical survey of the marine algae of southern Australia. I. Chlorophyta. Aust. J. mar. freshw. Res. 7, 343–383.

The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part I complete list of references.

Author: H.B.S. Womersley

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (31 May, 1984)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Part I
©Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Government of South Australia

Illustrations in Womersley Part I, 1984: FIGS 58C, 59D.

Figure 58   enlarge

Fig. 58. A. Apjohnia laetevirens (ADU, A27299). B. Cladophoropsis herpestica (ADU, A13612). C. Cladophoropsis magna (Type).

Figure 59   enlarge

Fig. 59. A,B. Apjohnia laetevirens (ADU, A27299). A. A branch with series of basally annulate segments. B. Lower cells with annular constrictions and hapteroid cells. C. Cladophoropsis herpestica (ADU, A13612). Filaments with descending rhizoids and open connection to lateral branches. D. Cladophoropsis magna (Type). A cluster of filaments showing branches in open connection to lower cells. E–G. Cladophora rhizoclonioidea (Holotype). E. Habit. F. A group of entangled filaments. G. An old regenerating filament with young lateral branches.

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