Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Striaria attenuata Greville 1828: synop. 44; 1830: 55, pl. 9.

Phylum Phaeophyta – Order Dictyosiphonales – Family Striariaceae

Selected citations: Caram 1965: 101, figs 1–12. Harvey 1846: pl. 25. Kornmann & Sahling 1973: 14, figs 1–9. Lindauer et al. 1961: 265, fig. 69. Nygren 1975: 135, figs 11–15. Rosenvinge & Lund 1947: 59, fig. 21. Skinner & Womersley 1983: 60, figs 1A, 2A–F.

Thallus (Fig. 109B) light to medium brown, 10–15 (–30) cm high, much branched irregularly radially to oppositely, branches terete, basally constricted and tapering gradually to their apices; attachment by a small discoid, holdfast, probably epilithic. Growth of terminal filament (Fig. 113B) trichothallic, with diffuse growth below the uniseriate apex. Structure below the apical filament uniseriate for 10–15 (–20) cells (Fig. 113B), 15–20 µm in diameter with cells L/B 0.2–0.5, becoming 200–500 µm in diameter in upper branches with longitudinal cell divisions, and 1–2 mm in diameter below where the branches become hollow, with a small-celled cortex (Fig. 113D) of phaeoplastic cells, more or less isodiametric and angular, 15–30 µ across in surface view, and a medulla 1 (–2) cells thick of large, clear, cells; phaeoplasts numerous per cortical cell, apparently without pyrenoids, with prominent physodes. Phaeophycean hairs scattered, mostly solitary, arising oppositely on young branches, 8–14 in diameter.

Microthallus (as for the genus); unknown for Australian plants.

Reproduction: Sori (Fig. 113A) scattered or more or less in whorls, subcircular and 100–350 µm across, with clusters of unilocular sporangia (Fig. 1 13C,D) cut off from cortical cells, ovoid to pyriform, 45–55 1.1m long and 20–35 µm in diameter, with similar or slightly more elongate paraphyses (Fig. 113C,D) present marginally or occasionally within the sorus, containing physodes and a few phaeoplasts.

Type from the Isle of Bute, Scotland (Carmichael); in E.

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

Distribution: Temperate N. Atlantic; southern New Zealand; Japan.

In southern Australia, known from West Lakes, Adelaide, S. Aust., 1 m deep (Steffenson, 20.x.1978; ADU, A49759); Southport, Tas., on jetty piles (Cribb 77.10, 23.ix.1950; ADU, A16249); Coles Bay, Tas., uppermost sublittoral on Caulocystis cephalornithos (Womersley, 19.x.1986; ADU, A57213-"Marine Algae of southern Australia" No. 271); and from Pambula, N.S.W., in mangrove swamp (King & Wheeler, 28.ix.1983; UNSW, 15243; ADU, A54426).

Taxonomic notes: S. attenuata may be an introduction to southern Australia, but may not have established itself at all the above localities.

References:

CARAM, B. (1965). Recherches sur la reproduction et le cycle sexué de quelques Phéophycées. Vie et Milieu 16, 21–222.

GREVILLE, R.K. (1828). Scottish Cryptogamic flora. Vol. 6, Plates 331–360, synopsis 1–82. (Edinburgh.)

GREVILLE, R.K. (1830). Algae Britannicae. (Edinburgh.)

HARVEY, W.H. (1846). Phycologia Britannica. Plates 1–72. (Reeve: London.)

KORNMANN, P. & SAHLING, P.-H. (1973). Striaria attenuata (Phaeophyta, Dictyosiphonales), neu bei Helgoland: Entwicklung und Aufbau. Helgol. wiss. Meeresunters. 25, 14–25.

LINDAUER, V.W., CHAPMAN, V.J. & AIKEN, M. (1961). The marine algae of New Zealand. II. Phaeophyceae. Nova Hedwigia 3, 129–350, Plates 57–97.

NYGREN, S. (1975). Life history of some Phaeophyceae from Sweden. Bot. Mar. 18, 131–141.

ROSENVINGE, L.K. & LUND, S. (1947). The marine algae of Denmark. Vol. II. Phaeophyceae. III. Encoeliaceae, Myriotrichiaceae, Giraudiaceae, Striariaceae, Dictyosiphonaceae, Chordaceae and Laminariaceae. K. Dan. Vidensk. Selsk. Biol. Skr. 4(5), 1–99.

SKINNER, S. & WOMERSLEY, H.B.S. (1983). New records (possibly introductions) of Striaria, Stictyosiphon and Arthrocladia (Phaeophyta) for southern Australia. Trans. R. Soc. S. Aust. 107, 59–68.

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

Author: H.B.S. Womersley

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 109B, 113 A–D.

Figure 109   enlarge

Fig. 109. A. Hydroclathrus clathratus (ADU, A56955). B. Striaria attenuata (ADU, A49759). C. Stictyosiphon soriferus (ADU, A53230).

Figure 113   enlarge

Fig. 113. A–D. Striaria attenuata (ADU, A49759). A. Diagram of thallus with sori and phaeophycean hairs. B. Apex of a branch with apical filament and showing segmentation. C. Surface view of part of a sorus of unilocular sporangia and paraphyses (shown with physodes and phaeoplasts). D. Transverse section of thallus showing cortical cells (with phaeoplasts and physodes) and a sorus of unilocular sporangia with a phaeophycean hair and two paraphyses (lightly stippled). E–J. Stictyosiphon soriferus (ADU, A53230). E. Apex of a branch with a terminal phaeophycean hair and part of long, uniseriate, filament. F. Lower part of branch with some longitudinal cell divisions and two lateral branches. G. Cell arrangement of older branch. H. Cells in subdivided tiers in older branch. I. Mature branch with surface view of plurilocular sporangia. J. Transverse section of branch with plurilocular sporangia in cortex and four large medullary cells.

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