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Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Crouania brunyana Wollaston, sp. nov.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Order Ceramiales – Family Ceramiaceae – Tribe Crouanieae

Thallus (Fig. 16A) 2–4 cm high, erect, axes terete, straight to slightly flexuous, irregularly branched, ecorticate apart from very sparse cortical filaments on lower axes, not mucilaginous, with the whorls and each of the 3 whorl-branchlets in each whorl (Fig. 16A) separated, exposing the axial cells (Fig. 16B), with the outer part of the whorl-branchlets directed upwards. Base erect, attached by rhizoids from lower axial cells; epizoic or on shells. Structure. Apical and subapical cells 5–8 µm in diameter and L/D 0.7–1.5, enlarging below to 80–100 µm in diameter and L/D 3–7, and to 150–250 µm and L/D 2–3 near the base; lateral branches arising from axial cells. Whorl-branchlets (Fig. 16A, B) 200–450 µm long, with 4–6 (–8) di- or trichotomies, basal cells 15–25 µm in diameter and L/D (1–) 1.5–2, tapering to elongate terminal cells (3–) 5–7 µm) in diameter and L/D 2–4 (–6), usually with a terminal hair; corticating rhizoids (Fig. 16C) very sparse, arising from basal cells. Cells uninucleate; rhodoplasts discoid, becoming ribbon like and lying lengthwise in older cells.

Reproduction: Gametophytes unknown.

Tetrasporangia (Fig. 16D) borne on lower cells of whorl-branchlets, sessile, ovoid, 22–40 µm in diameter, tetrahedrally divided.

Type from Simpson Bay, Bruny I., Tas., on coralline algae on bryozoan?, 11 m deep (Shepherd, 11.ii.1972); holotype in AD, A41616.

Selected specimens: Tinderbox, Tas., on bryozoan, 6–11 m deep and on shells, 8–11 m deep (Kraft 10141 and 10142 & Sanderson,7.xii.1993; MELU, K10141 and AD, A66990, A66991 respectively).


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

Distribution: Only known from the type specimen and from Tinderbox, Tasmania.

Taxonomic notes: C. brunyana is named from the type locality, Bruny I.

C. brunyana, from the holotype and Tinderbox collections, differs from C. robbii in having longer mid-thallus axial cells and usually shorter whorl-branchlets well separated throughout the thallus.

References: The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part IIIC

Author: E.M. Wollaston & H.B.S. Womersley

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (24 December, 1998)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Rhodophyta. Part IIIC. Ceramiales – Ceramiaceae, Dasyaceae
©State Herbarium of South Australia, Government of South Australia


Illustration in Womersley Part IIIA, 1998: FIG. 16 A–D.

Figure 16 image

Figure 16   enlarge

Fig. 16. A–D. Crouania brunyana (A–C, AD, A41616; D, MELU, K10141 and AD, A66990). A. Young branches. B. Mid thallus with separated whorls. C. Lower axis with slight rhizoidal cortication. D. Branches with tetrasporangia. E. Gattya pinnella (AD, A24876). Habit.


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