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Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet
Phylum Phaeophyta – Order Chordariales – Family Chordariaceae
Thallus (Fig. 30C) medium to dark brown, densely tomentose throughout, mucoid, attached by a small discoid holdfast, with one to a few axes 10–50 cm long and 2–6 mm in diameter, usually with a few long, simple, scattered or occasionally clumped lateral branches, occasionally with these bearing short laterals (1–4 cm long); epilithic (or epiphytic on Laurencia). Medulla (Fig. 32E,F) of dense longitudinal filaments 10–22 µm in diameter (narrower near the periphery) with cells L/B 2–4 (–6), with slight production of hyphae, more so near the periphery; cells at surface of medulla irregular in shape, 4–6 µm in diameter and L/B 1.5–3, producing the cortical filaments directly or with a single subcortical cell. Cortical filaments (Fig. 32E,F) of two lengths; shorter determinate cortical filaments 30–60 µm and (4–) 6–12 cells long, usually curved and narrower below, cells 4–6 µm in diameter above and L/B 1–1.5 (–2), with intercalary divisions; longer (indeterminate) cortical filaments 1–2.5 mm and usually over 50 cells long, cylindrical, cells (7–) 8–10 µm in diameter and L/B 1–1.5 below, becoming L/B 3–4 above, with cell divisions mainly in the lower part. Phaeoplasts (Fig. 32G) several per cell, discoid, each usually with a pyrenoid. Phaeophycean hairs absent.
Reproduction: Unilocular sporangia (Fig. 32E,F) forming a well defined layer outside the medulla, broadly clavate to ovoid, borne on outermost medullary cells or on a short 1–2 celled pedicel at base of cortical filaments, (30–) 40–50 µm long and 16–24 µm in diameter. Plurilocular sporangia unknown.
Type from Point Peron, W. Aust., in crevices on reef edge, upper sublittoral (Womersley, 29.ix.1979; ADU, A51033-"Marine Algae of southern Australia" No. 249.
Distribution: Known only from the type collection.
While the species of Papenfussiella (Kylin 1940) are not well differentiated, P. extensa has shorter and narrower determinate cortical filaments, and narrower long (indeterminate) cortical filaments, than any other species. The known locality is not within the southern Australian region, but it may well occur south of Point Peron.
References:
KYLIN, H. (1940). Die Phaeophyceenordnung Chordariales. Acta Univ. lund. N.F. Avd. 2, 36(9), 1–67, Plates 1–8.
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part II complete list of references.
Publication:
Womersley, H.B.S. (14 December, 1987)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Part II
©Board of the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium, Government of South Australia
Illustrations in Womersley Part II, 1997: FIGS 30C, 32 E–G.
Figure 30 enlarge
Fig. 30. A. Myriogloea sciurus (ADU, A55343). B. Papenfussiella lutea (ADU, A57209). C. Papenfussiella extensa (ADU, A51033, holotype).
Figure 32 enlarge
Fig. 32. A–D. Papenfussiella lutea (ADU, A57209). A. Longitudinal section (partly diagrammatic) showing medullary filaments, short (determinate) and long (indeterminate) cortical filaments, stratum of plurilocular sporangia, and unilocular sporangia. B. Medullary and hyphal filaments with long and short cortical filaments and young unilocular sporangia. C. Cells of a long (indeterminate) cortical filament with phaeoplasts and pyrenoids. D. Medullary hyphal filament with branch systems bearing plurilocular sporangia. E–G. Papenfussiella extensa (ADU, A51033, holotype). E. Transverse section showing medullary cells, short (determinate) and long (indeterminate) cortical filaments and unilocular sporangia. F. Longitudinal section, as for E. G. Cells of a long (indeterminate) cortical filament with phaeoplasts and pyrenoids. H–J. Suringariella harveyana (H,I, ADU, A24576; J, ADU, A30676). H. Outer medulla and cortex with simple or branched determinate cortical filaments, a phaeophycean hair, and unilocular sporangia. I. Cells of a determinate cortical filament with phaeoplasts (with pyrenoids) and physodes. J. Determinate cortical filaments with plurilocular sporangia of various ages.
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