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Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Leptophyllis conferta (R. Brown ex Turner)J. Agardh 1876: 676.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Class Florideophyceae – Order Bonnemaisoniales – Family Bonnemaisoniaceae

Selected citations: De Toni 1900b: 757. Guiler 1952: 85. Levring 1953: 526, fig. 55C–G. Lucas 1929a: 20. Lucas & Perrin 1947: 239. May 1965: 398. Sonder 1881: 30. Tisdall 1898: 512. Wilson 1892: 169.

Synonyms

Fucus confertus R. Brown ex Turner 1811: 116, pl. 184.

Delesseria conferta (R. Brown ex Turner)C. Agardh 1822: 177.

Dictymenia conferta (R. Brown ex Turner)Harvey 1847: 29, pl. 8.

Cladhymenia conferta (R. Brown ex Turner)Harvey 1859b: 306; 1860: pl. 144. Kützing 1864: 33, pl: 93a-d.

Thallus (Fig. 156A) medium red to red-brown, fading to yellow-brown, 5–15 cm high, essentially complanately and alternately marginally branched, branches flat, (0.5–) 1.5–2.5 (–3) mm broad, basally constricted, apices obtuse to pointed, with a slight midrib and opposite lateral veins, margin usually with small serrations; axes thickened and subterete near the base. Holdfast discoid, 2–4 mm across; usually epilithic, occasionally epiphytic. Structure uniaxial (Fig. 156A–D), apical cell usually distinct, each subapical cell with two opposite periaxial cells developing slightly more strongly alternately, the stronger producing the small marginal serrations (Fig. 156C), with the axial filament forming the slight central midrib 45–75 µm in diameter and the periaxial filaments forming the opposite veins. Thallus 4–5 cells thick, inner cells ovoid, 30–80 µm in diameter, outer cells angular in surface view, 6–18 (–22) µm across and 8–17 µm thick (usually broader than thick). Rhodoplasts discoid.

Reproduction: Gametangial thalli dioecious or monoecious. Carpogonial branches unknown. Carposporophyte (Fig. 156F) with a small basal fusion cell, associated nutritive cells, and a tuft of branched gonimoblast filaments with slender elongate cells and terminal, ovoid to clavate carposporangia 40–80 µm in diameter. Cystocarps (Fig. 156B, E) sessile on the surface of branchlets, lying above the veins, urceolate, 500–800 µm in diameter, broadly ostiolate with a thick pericarp; inner pericarp cells elongate, often extruded with the carposporangia. Spermatangial sori near branch ends, with initials producing elongate spermatangia (Fig. 157A) 4–6 µm in diameter.

Tetrasporangia in raised nemathecia (Fig. 157B) on both sides of the midrib, ovoid to clavate, 20–30 µm in diameter, irregularly obliquely divided, among paraphyses (Fig. 157C) 3–5 cells long and 6–10 µm in diameter, with the outer cells short and branched, over-arching the tetrasporangia.

Type from Kent Is (Brown); holotype in BM.

Selected specimens: Ward I., S. Aust., 30 m deep (Graske, 22.vi.1988; AD, A59265). Elliston, S. Aust., 20 m deep outside bar (Shepherd, 14.v.1971; AD, A38688). Toad Head, West I., S. Aust., 13–16 m deep (Shepherd, 15.i.1966; AD, A30330). 12 km S of Vivonne Bay, Kangaroo I., S. Aust., 50–70 m deep (Latz, 24.xi.1968; AD, A33005). Seal Bay, Kangaroo I., S. Aust., drift (Womersley, 29.x.1966; AD, A31025). Robe, S. Aust., drift (Womersley, 11.xii.1969; AD, A34873). Stinky Bay, Nora Creina, S. Aust., drift (Gordon, 26.i.1967; AD, A31629). Port Fairy, Vic., drift (Womersley, 24.i.1967; AD, A31496). Cape Woolamai, Vic., 15–18 m deep S side (Sorokin, 16.ii.1990; AD, A60195). Walkerville, Vic., drift (Sinkora A2354, 7.iii.1977; AD, A48358). Gabo I., Vic., 18 m deep (Shepherd, 17.ii.1973; AD, A43495). Eddystone (Point), Tas. (Perrin, 11.x.1942; AD, A8953). Eaglehawk Neck, Tas., 12–15 m deep (Kraft, 12.xii.1993; AD, A63352). Fluted Cape, Bruny I., Tas., 16 m deep (Shepherd, 10.ii.1972; AD, A41514).


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

Distribution: Ward I., S. Aust., to Gabo I., Vic., and around Tasmania.

Taxonomic notes: Cladhymenia conferta var. 13 foliifera Harvey (1859b, p. 306), from Southport, Tas. (Stuart), illustrated by Kützing (1864, p. 33, pl. 93e) appears to be a plant with young, proliferous leaflets.

References:

AGARDH, C.A. (1822). Species Algarum. Vol. 1, Part 2, pp. 169–398. (Berling: Lund.)

AGARDH, J.G. (1876). Species Genera et Ordines Algarum. Vol. 3, Part 1 — Epicrisis systematis Floridearum, pp. i-vii, 1–724. (Weigel: Leipzig.)

DE TONI, G.B. (1900b). Sylloge Algarum omnium hucusque Cognitarum. Vol. 4. Florideae. Sect. 2, pp. 387–776. (Padua.)

GUILER, E.R. (1952). The marine algae of Tasmania. Check List with localities. Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm. 86, 71–106.

HARVEY, W.H. (1847). Nereis Australis, pp. 1–64, Plates 1–25. (Reeve: London.)

HARVEY, W.H. (1859b). Algae. In Hooker, J.D., The Botany of the Antarctic Voyage. HI Flora Tasmaniae. Vol. II, pp. 282–320. (Reeve: London.)

HARVEY, W.H. (1860). Phycologia Australica. Vol. 3, Plates 121–180. (Reeve: London.)

KÜTZING, F.T. (1864). Tabulae Phycologicae. Vol. 14. (Nordhausen.)

LEVRING, T. (1953). The marine algae of Australia. I. Rhodophyta: Goniotrichales, Bangiales and Nemalionales. Arkiv för Bot. Ser. 2, 2, 457–530.

LUCAS, A.H.S. & PERRIN, F. (1947). The Seaweeds of South Australia. Part 2. The Red Seaweeds. (Govt Printer: Adelaide.)

LUCAS, A.H.S. (1929a). The marine algae of Tasmania. Pap. Proc. R. Soc. Tasm. 1928, 6–27.

MAY, V. (1965). A census and key to the species of Rhodophyceae (red algae) recorded from Australia. Contr. N.S.W. natn. Herb. 3, 349–429.

SONDER, O.W. (1881). In Mueller, F., Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae. Supplementum ad volumen undecinum: Algae Australianae hactenus cognitae, pp. 1–42, 105–107. (Melbourne.)

TISDALL, H.T. (1898). The algae of Victoria. Rep. 7th Meet. Aust. Ass. Adv. Sci., Sydney, 1898, pp. 493–516.

TURNER, D. (1811). Fuci sive Plantarum Fucorum Generi a Botanicis Ascriptarum Icones Descriptiones et Historia. Vol. 3, pp. 1–148, Plates 135–196. (London.)

WILSON, J.B. (1892). Catalogue of algae collected at or near Port Phillip Heads and Western Port. Proc. R. Soc. Vict. 4, 157–190.

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

Author: H.B.S. Womersley

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (28 June, 1996)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Rhodophyta. Part IIIB. Gracilarialse, Rhodymeniales, Corallinales and Bonnemaisoniales
Reproduced with permission from The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part IIIB 1996, by H.B.S. Womersley. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Copyright Commonwealth of Australia.


Illustrations in Womersley Part IIIA, 1996: FIGS 156, 157.

Figure 156 image

Figure 156   enlarge

Fig. 156. Leptophyllis conferta (A, B, AD, A34873; C–E, AD, A63352; F, AD, A41514). A. Habit. B. Branches with cystocarps. C. Apex of branch. D. Apex showing development of lateral periaxial cells with no transverse periaxial cells. E. Cystocarp situated within the apex of a lateral. F. Section of a cystocarp with carposporophyte and carposporangia.

Figure 157 image

Figure 157   enlarge

Fig. 157. A–C. Leptophyllis conferta (A, AD, A34873; B, C, AD, A59265). A. Section of branch with spermatangial sori. B. Surface view of branch with tetrasporangial sori. C. Transverse section of branch with tetrasporangial sori.


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