Electronic Flora of South Australia Species Fact Sheet

Gloiophloea scinaioides J. Agardh 1872: 29.

Phylum Rhodophyta – Class Florideophyceae – Order Nemaliales – Family Galaxauraceae

Selected citations: Huisman 1985: 407, figs 17–27; 1987: 168, figs 1–6, 9–16. Levring 1953: 504, figs 35, 36.

Synonym

G. perriniae Levring 1953: 508, figs 37, 38.

Thallus (Fig. 29E) (gametophyte) red, 5–10 cm high, subdichotomously branched every 3–10 (–15) mm below, often 1–2 (–3) cm apart above, not constricted, branches 1.5–2 mm in diameter, apices rounded. Holdfast discoid, 1–3 mm across; epilithic. Structure multiaxial, developing a central core of entwined filaments 2.5–10 µm in diameter, from which radiate medullary filaments 3–5 µm in diameter, with the cortex (Fig. 29F) 2–3 (–4) cells thick, of globose to pyriform rhodoplastic cells 5–12.5 µm long and 5–7.5 µm in diameter, outwardly smaller, and without any colourless utricles.

Tetrasporophyte filamentous, cells 2–8 µm in diameter, L/D 5–8 (only known from culture - Huisman 1987, p. 171).

Reproduction: Outer cortical cells released as monosporangia 5–6 µm in diameter.

Sexual thalli monoecious. Carpogonial branches 3-celled, developing on outer medullary cells, with the hypogynous cell forming three sterile branches, 1-celled, 2-celled and 3-celled (plus a further cell from its base) and the basal cell producing sterile filaments which form the involucre after fertilization. Fertilized carpogonium cutting off initials which form the gonimoblast with terminal chains of ovoid carposporangia 12–15 µm long and 7–10 µm in diameter; a basal fusion cell present. Cystocarps (Fig. 29G) 110–225 µm in diameter, ostiolate, with a well developed involucre. Spermatangia cut off from outer cortical cells as a surface layer, ovoid, 3–4 µm in diameter.

Tetrasporangia borne terminally or laterally, sessile or pedicellate, cruciately divided, 10–11 µm in diameter and 15–20 µm long.

Type from Western Port, Vic.; in Herb Agardh, LD, 32112.

Selected specimens: (see also Huisman 1987, p. 168): Eucla, W. Aust., drift (Womersley, 2.ii.1954; AD, A19377). Ward I., S. Aust., 18–23 m deep (Shepherd, 3.iii.1980; AD, A50917). Troubridge Light, off Edithburg, S. Aust., 17 m deep (Shepherd, 4.ii.1969; AD, A33434). Marino, S. Aust., drift (Womersley, 21.v.1953; AD, A18640). Pennington Bay, Kangaroo I., S. Aust., drift (Womersley, 11.ii.1956; AD, A20126).Walkerville, Vic., drift (Sinkora, 9.iii.1972; AD, A43242). Guyton Point, Robbins I., Tas. (Wollaston & Mitchell, 23.ii.1964; AD, A27622). Devonport, Tas., 10 m deep (Chidgey, April 1980; MELU, 22994).

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

Distribution: From Eucla, W. Aust., to Walkerville, Vic., and the north coast of Tasmania.

References:

AGARDH, J.G. (1872). Bidrag till Florideernes Systematik. Acta Univ. hind. 8, 1–60.

HUISMAN, J.M. (1985). The Scinaia assemblage (Galaxauraceae, Rhodophyta): a re- appraisal. Phycologia 24, 403–418.

HUISMAN, J.M. (1987). The taxonomy and life history of Gloiophloea (Galaxauraceae, Rhodophyta). Phycologia 26, 167–174.

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

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

Author: J.M. Huisman & H.B.S. Womersley

Publication: Womersley, H.B.S. (14 January, 1994)
The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia
Rhodophyta. Part IIIA, Bangiophyceae and Florideophyceae (to Gigartinales)
Reproduced with permission from The Marine Benthic Flora of Southern Australia Part IIIA 1994, by H.B.S. Womersley. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. Copyright Commonwealth of Australia.

Illustration in Womersley Part IIIA, 1994: FIG. 29 E–G.

Figure 29   enlarge

Fig. 29. A–C. Scinaia australis (A, UC, 74793; B, C, MELU, 22999). A. Holotype, habit. B. Cross section of cortex. C. Section of young cystocarp. D. Scinaia proliferata (MELU, GK 4932, holotype). Habit. E–G. Gloiophloea scinaioides. (E, LD, 32112; F, G, MELU, 22994). E. Holotype, habit. F. Cross section of cortex. G. Section of cystocarp. [A–D as in Huisman 1986; E–G as in Huisman 1985.]

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