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Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Rhizoclonium curvatum Chapman 1956: 468, fig. 127.

Phylum Chlorophyta – Order Cladophorales – Family Cladophoraceae

Thallus medium green, forming mats or felts of entangled filaments in eulittoral, shaded, calm water habitats. Filaments (Fig. 53E,F) simple, forming slight to distinct curves separated by fairly frequent 1–3 (–5) celled rhizoids, forming a regularly positioned Y at the junction, and often with several emitted from the same side of the filament. Cells 24–32 µm in diameter, L/B (0.7–) 1–1.5 (–2), wall 2–3 (–4) µm thick, 1–4 nuclei per cell; chloroplast dense with several pyrenoids.

Type from Manakau Harbour (by Puketutu I.), New Zealand; in AK.


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

Distribution: Apparently only known from the type collection in New Zealand.

In southern Australia, known from Outer Harbour (Port Adelaide), S. Aust., mid eulittoral on piles (Womersley, 22.vi.1953; ADU, A18828-"Marine Algae of southern Australia" No. 8, previously as R. riparium) and Garden I., Port Adelaide, S. Aust., mid eulittoral on mangroves (Womersley & van den Hoek, 1.x.1981; ADU, A52647-"Marine Algae of southern Australia" No. 8a, and Womersley, 9.iii.1982; ADU, A52983).

The Australian specimens agree well with Chapman's description and illustration. The species seems distinct in the curved segments of the filaments separated by fairly regularly spaced rhizoids which arise often on one side of the filaments and form a distinct Y at their junction. Known records from both New Zealand and South Australia are from harbour areas.

References:

CHAPMAN, V.J. (1956). The marine algae of New Zealand. Part I. Myxophyceae and Chlorophyceae. J. Linn. Soc. Bot. 55 (360), 333–501, Plates 24–50.

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


Illustration in Womersley Part I, 1984: FIG. 53E,F.

Figure 53 image

Figure 53   enlarge

Fig. 53. A. Rhizoclonium implexum (ADU, A52995). B,C. Rhizoclonium tortuosum. B. Filament with rhizoidal branch (ADU, A15398). C. Filament (ADU, A52994). D. Rhizoclonium riparium (ADU, A52913). E,F. Rhizoclonium curvatum (ADU, A52647). E. Arcuate filament with rhizoids. F. Part of filament with rhizoid.


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